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

The Houyhnhnms are to be contrasted with the barbaric Yahoos, humans reduced to our most feral, bestial, barbaric, and cruel state. — Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Tom Waits lends his feral baritone to a commander of a coyote military brigade. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026

Young plays Galen Keegan, a character with choir boy looks and a feral energy, who was only 10 years old when E-Day occurred, halting his physical aging process, though his mind continued to develop. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

In this case, checking to see if the cat is responsive to you would be appropriate, as a domestic cat will most likely be lost and confused, whereas a feral cat will tend to be at home in nature. — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 22 Oct. 2026

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
• foraminiferal
• tocopherol

Kids Definition

feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl  ˈfer- 

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats