as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
with animalistic fury the boxer tore into his opponent
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Recent Examples of animalistic
Buc-ee's is arguing that the animalistic logo is too similar to the buck-toothed beaver donning a red baseball cap inside of a bright yellow circle.
—
Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Buc-ee's argues, in court documents, that the animalistic logo is too similar to its own – a toothy beaver wearing a red ballcap inside a bright yellow circle.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
The characters live in a world of mud, rain, wind, and animalistic yearning, reflecting the bugs and birds and rabbits and dogs and livestock that surround them.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Venezuelan tonka bean absolute gets an edgier twist with palo santo and musk, while coconut powder balances the earthy and animalistic notes with a subtly fresh sweetness.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
So much of one’s experience at a restaurant is contextual, dependent on the arc and flow of a meal, and singling out any one specific creation or sensory experience forces me to take stock in a more granular, almost animalistic way.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Followed by the look of pure, animalistic pleasure.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Buc-ee's argues, in court documents, that the animalistic logo is too similar to its own – a toothy beaver wearing a red ballcap inside a bright yellow circle.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
The characters live in a world of mud, rain, wind, and animalistic yearning, reflecting the bugs and birds and rabbits and dogs and livestock that surround them.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Venezuelan tonka bean absolute gets an edgier twist with palo santo and musk, while coconut powder balances the earthy and animalistic notes with a subtly fresh sweetness.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
So much of one’s experience at a restaurant is contextual, dependent on the arc and flow of a meal, and singling out any one specific creation or sensory experience forces me to take stock in a more granular, almost animalistic way.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Followed by the look of pure, animalistic pleasure.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalistic
Adjective
-
Whatever transformation occurs reflects the brute metamorphosis of character into symbol, not the fullness of realism or the vividness of fiction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Jeannot is both a tactician and a juggernaut, blending technique with his brute strength.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the timing of this meltdown was brutal.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando City heads west after a two-week break, trying to snap out of a brutal early-season slump, but the Lions face a steep climb against a Los Angeles FC squad that hasn’t conceded a goal this year.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Another group heads by boat to the Caves, a flat grassy plateau where some cattle are allowed to grow feral.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Fendelman captured that horrible silence in the doc, punctuated by Littlejohn’s niece screaming, feral and raw.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What do digital animals, these bestial avatars, make possible?—
Cynthia Chris,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Some deep bestial neurological structures fired inappropriately and stoked within her an instinct of brute survival.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalistic. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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