primeval

adjective

prī-ˈmē-vəl How to pronounce primeval (audio)
Definition of primevalnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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
  1. ancient
  2. primitive
  3. primal
  4. prehistoric
  5. primordial
  6. early
Adjective
  • Archeologists identify it as ancient Samaria, capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Outside of learning about ancient concentration camps and historic serial killers while Phaedra beams, the moment without Porsha serves as a Hail Mary pass for Shamea to try to salvage some of the damage from the night before.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • But the football was largely primitive and uncompetitive, as only 13 countries competed.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2026
  • But the Deadheads also evince an honest yearning for something that’s tribal, primitive, sacred, ancient, shamanic, ecstatic.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Inning over, Skubal flexed and let out one of his patented primal roars.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • The gruesome tragedy transforms every scene that follows, and as Irene’s trauma mutates into something primal, what begins as a portrait of impossible loss reveals itself as a visceral examination of survival itself.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • While the area was formerly covered by prehistoric lakes, today the water here mainly exists as seasonal wetlands, gurgling geysers, hot springs, and a hypersaline lake that’s saltier than the ocean.
    — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026
  • The species has remained unchanged since prehistoric times, finding ways to survive while other species became extinct, according to the San Diego Zoo.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • Argentina fans, meanwhile, are unique in all sports—other countries have fan bases that get loud, but a stadium full of Argentineans activates something primordial.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • This is, Meghan O’Gieblyn argues in our June 25, 2026, issue, a distinctly parental anxiety, a primordial kind of maternal metaphor that appears over and over again in writing and interviews about AI development.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
Definition of primordial
Adjective
  • The prefect of the Gironde region that includes Bordeaux ordered the evacuation in the early hours of Saturday, covering parts of three of the city’s western suburbs, including its airport.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
  • Enrollment is expected to continue growing this upcoming school year, said Rigg, though the archdiocese won’t know an exact number until early October.
    — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Definition of early

Browse Nearby Words

primes
primeval
priming
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on primeval

Nglish: Translation of primeval for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All