1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person
they looked like a tribe of Neanderthals compared to the bridegroom's patrician-looking family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
a man with crude manners and habits and outmoded attitudes
made the mistake of dining with some Neanderthal who repeatedly mistook his shirtsleeve for a napkin
Synonyms & Similar Words
variants
or Neandertal
as in rude
not civilized
her boyfriend's Neanderthal tastes and manners were often embarrassing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthal
Noun
-
When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
-
The hulk has made it to the Seaport once — in September 2024 when it was towed to Pier 17 for a Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Week event.
Noun
-
Then, a thousand years after Rome fell to barbarians, Italy brightly lit the paths of the Renaissance for others to follow.
-
There are barbarians with battle axes and swords, robots with laser guns, spaceships, a warlock with a skull for a face.
Adjective
-
Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
-
It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
Noun
-
Far from lumps of rock, the trojans, along with DJ and Dinkinesh (which is the Ethiopian name for the Lucy fossil), are windows into the past, and the storytellers of the Earth's most ancient history.
-
Rather than receiving a lump-sum loan upfront, borrowers can access a credit line as needed during the draw period (up to the credit limit).
Noun
-
Rabies can also be transmitted through direct contact with brain or nervous system tissue from an infected animal.
-
The animals have been seen on airport runways, walking on golf courses, roaming near schools and causing panic in supermarkets and hot spring resorts almost on a daily basis.
Adjective
-
The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
-
Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
Noun
-
There, by definition, each match has to have a winner and a loser, so any match that ends in a draw proceeds to two 15-minute periods of overtime, and, if that fails to untie the score, a penalty kick shootout.
-
The loser of Saturday’s match in Kansas City will finish third in this group.
Noun
-
There’s a lyric where reporters are wondering why Mullally’s Vera Vim, a fading actress, bought a caveman.
-
Throughout the Backrooms, there are several cardboard cutouts of a mysterious caveman, wired to a communication device that broadcasts audio greetings in multiple languages.
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.
Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
