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feral

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective feral differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of feral are bestial, brutal, and brutish. While all these words mean "characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct," feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

In what contexts can bestial take the place of feral?

While the synonyms bestial and feral are close in meaning, bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

When would brutal be a good substitute for feral?

Although the words brutal and feral have much in common, brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

When is brutish a more appropriate choice than feral?

The meanings of brutish and feral largely overlap; however, brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of feral
Adjective
But on the latest installation of Rolling Stone Recommends, the musician taps into the more feral feelings that come with playing competitive card games with friends, the idea of being monstrously hungry on Survivor, and recovering from watching David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2025 More than four years after a 77-year-old man walked into a Florida hospital with pain in his chest, a new report says preparing and eating feral pig meat was the likely cause of the man’s yearslong infection. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 In America alone, there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats, completely left to their fate. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 South Florida Wildlands Association responded to a comment that the mystery animal could be a feral cat, expressing some of their doubts. Kelli Bender, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
  • Niemann, a grandmaster, beat Carlsen in an upset in a 2022 match, leading Carlsen to withdraw from the tournament and setting off wild speculation about whether Niemann could have cheated, though no such allegations were ever proven.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2025
  • This ferocious, steep-banked corner possesses a wild 24% gradient, a nod to Spain’s bullfighting heritage.
    Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Dort will defend quicker guards like Mitchell but lives for the brute matchups.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Because the strongest person was going to win in both groups, which just proves the show prioritizes brute strength over any other quality.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Deadly dog mauling Kansas City Police officers responded around 9:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2024, to the Marlborough East neighborhood for a call about an animal bite incident.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • This movie is cute, has vibrant landscapes (jelly beans, hot-air balloons, artsy eggs), and animals with loads of personality.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.
    William Jones, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • At times brutal and always volatile, the album functions as a sort of electro-shock therapy applied from the shoulders down, layering hard beats, ambient whorls, and nervous acid ticks to trigger a state of full-body rapture.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Set in a fictional, secluded land of mountains and lakes, Ochi follows a plucky teen named Yuri (played by Helena Zengel), who’s been raised by her father to fear and hunt the reclusive little beasties called ochi.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
  • From hummingbirds and butterflies to spiders and even lowly beetles, all those wee beasties are part of an intricate web that makes up an ecosystem.
    Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • There was no sign of critter activity inside the house, though evidence of their presence was said to have been found in vehicles linked to the couple.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2025
  • As of Monday, thousands of the critters — called velella velella or by-the-wind sailors — have been sighted along the California coastline since the start of March, according to iNaturalist, an online platform for sharing biodiversity information.
    Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the mountains of Papua New Guinea, researchers encountered a clownish creature perched on a log in a fern meadow, basking in the sun.
    Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2025
  • There are no Jedis, no secrets about Darth Vader's past for Reddit sleuths to hunt down, no adorable creatures to slap on backpacks and lunchboxes.
    Eliana Dockterman, Time, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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