PRIMEVAL Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

primeval

adjective

prī-ˈmē-vəl

Definition of primeval

as in ancient

relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

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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.

Recent Examples of primeval There was another side to connect with, a rough, primeval, earthly energy. — Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025 The primeval lizards also harbor over 50 strains of bacteria in their mouths and their venomous saliva contains an anticoagulant and toxins that induce blood loss, shock, and paralysis in its victim. — Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2025 Sez Me … Since the first football player — all hairy and slumped over and naked — climbed out of the primeval swamp and tried to block an animal that hasn’t been seen since that giant asteroid smashed into Earth, it‘s been obvious. — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025 Filled with unearthly landscapes, primeval forests, and twilight beaches, Anemone’s ornate visual design seems to underscore its characters’ emotional suffocation. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for primeval

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval

Adjective

That verdant vista of a piece of ancient, intricate architecture centered me in storied Osaka and proved a delightfully consistent through line for my stay.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
This phenomenon of gravitational lensing has been used to great effect to study ancient galaxies that would usually be too distant and faint to see when they are gravitationally lensed by foreground galaxy clusters.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 July 2026

Definition of ancient

Adjective

Then, their caregiver responds by handing the package to the child to feel, saying the name of the food out loud, or another response that serves as a kind of primitive conversation.

— Miranda Rake, Parents, 9 July 2026
The type of camping (primitive versus RV-permitted), facilities, seasonal openings, and the number of sites available vary by campground.

— Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026

Definition of primitive

Adjective

Many of the messages are peddling a sense of pride and belonging — primal impulses at the heart of the MAGA movement.

— Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Watching a mother turtle haul herself ashore under a canopy of stars to lay her eggs is a truly primal and humbling sight.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026

Definition of primal

Adjective

Millions of years ago, the peaceful water, lack of scavengers, and fine sediment created perfect conditions for preserving these plentiful prehistoric fossils—fish, alligators, stingrays, turtles, and even small horses have been found here.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
The site dates to Thailand’s late prehistoric period, also known as the Iron Age, which lasted roughly 2,500 to 1,500 years ago.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Definition of prehistoric

Adjective

Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 June 2026
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026

Definition of primordial

Adjective

Crews from multiple local and state agencies began an extensive search, and his body was recovered early Monday, family members confirmed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Hull noted Robinson was wearing different clothes and walking with a limp not seen in the earlier footage.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Definition of early

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priming

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“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of primeval

adjective

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