Synonyms of carnal

carnal

adjective

ˈkär-nᵊl 

1

as in mundane

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven

the preacher warned that those who were interested only in carnal pursuits would not see the kingdom of heaven

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mundane
• temporal
• physical
• terrestrial
• animal
• earthly
• bodily
• worldly
• fleshly
• sublunary
• earthbound
• corporeal
• daily
• corporal
• material
• terrene
• earthborn
• diurnal
• unspiritual
• anthropocentric
• anthropic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heavenly
• celestial
• unearthly
• spiritual
• metaphysical
• religious
• divine
• supernal
• unworldly
• sacred
• devotional
• nontemporal
• utopian
• transcendental
• supernatural
• transcendent
• empyreal
• empyrean
• ethereal
• Elysian
• extraterrestrial
• otherworldly
• unearthly

2

as in physical

of or relating to the human body

a missionary who tends to the carnal needs of the people as well as to their spiritual concerns

Synonyms & Similar Words

• physical
• bodily
• corporeal
• animal
• somatic
• physiological
• corporal
• sensual
• anatomic
• fleshly
• material
• sensuous
• hand-to-hand

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• psychological
• mental
• intellectual
• inner
• spiritual
• cerebral
• nonphysical
• nonmaterial
• immaterial
• metaphysical
• psychic
• incorporeal
• ethereal
• insubstantial
• bodiless

3

as in sensual

pleasing to the physical senses

carnal attractions of that gambling mecca in the desert

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensual
• sensuous
• delicious
• pleasant
• voluptuous
• fleshly
• lush
• delightful
• luxurious
• bodily
• luscious
• corporeal
• pleasing
• pleasurable
• delectable
• dreamy
• gratifying
• agreeable
• scrumptious
• palatable
• epicurean
• self-indulgent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• painful
• uncomfortable
• harsh
• disgusting
• hideous
• foul
• icky

Synonym Chooser

How is the word carnal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of carnal are animal, fleshly, and sensual. While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature.

a slave to carnal desires

When can animal be used instead of carnal?

While the synonyms animal and carnal are close in meaning, animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.

led a mindless animal existence

How do fleshly and carnal relate to one another?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal.

a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of carnal?

While in some cases nearly identical to carnal, sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.

fleshpots providing sensual delights

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of carnal

An intense, carnal need takes over mid-bite into a Loli Farms chicken leg. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Outside Richie’s bubble, disco was dying, and the glossy, often carnal stadium pop of the ’80s hadn’t quite arrived. — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Emerald Fennell’s reimagined Wuthering Heights got audiences hot under the collar; so will Lena Dunham’s Good Sex, in which Natalie Portman plays a couples therapist discovering her own carnal desires. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 15 Apr. 2026

This unapologetically fleshy, carnal, feminine update on David Cronenberg's 1988 psychosexual classic sees Rachel Weisz brilliantly pulling double-duty as identical twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026