feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl 

ˈfer-;

ˈfe-rəl 

1

: of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast

feral teeth

feral instincts

2

a

: not domesticated or cultivated : wild

feral animals

b

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats

feral noun

Synonyms of feral

• wild
• wilding
• savage

Choose the Right Synonym for feral

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of feral in a Sentence

They led a feral existence.

animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets

Recent Examples on the Web

While the image of the girl-villain, Samara, feral and wet, climbing out of a television, is the lingering horrifying image in our cultural imagination, Lisowski adeptly points to the more violent horrors of the story. —Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025

Congressional Republicans are actually fractious at best, like a room of feral cats the rest of the time—which is why Trump passed only one major piece of legislation in his first term and Republican House speakers last as long as the average mayfly. —Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

And while sometimes the comments section is feral and not safe for work, many viewers applauded Bergantino for bringing to life the issues taller people may face. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025

Although the bulk of their cases are for animals that already have a home, the nonprofit also devotes resources to tackling feral cat colonies, including trapping felines, administering vaccines and treating medical problems. —Magali Gauthier, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin feralis, from Latin fera wild animal, from feminine of ferus wild — more at fierce

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for feral

• beryl
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterile
• sterol
• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• imperil
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• tocopherol

Kids Definition

feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl  ˈfer- 

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats