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

They got involved trapping the colony of feral cats living behind the strip mall the vet office was located in. —Amanda Rosa april 9, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Deaths have suddenly spiked among the feral horses living on an isolated North Carolina island, and researchers say it’s linked to rising sea level and worsening coastal erosion. —Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026

The Major had a dozen or so almost feral horses. —Literary Hub, 6 Apr. 2026

Another group heads by boat to the Caves, a flat grassy plateau where some cattle are allowed to grow feral. —NPR, 4 Apr. 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
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• tocopherol

Kids Definition

feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl  ˈfer- 

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats