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

• savage
• unbroken
• undomesticated
• untamed
• wild
• wilding

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

In a post on his Facebook page, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, said the discussion was prompted by an increasing number of calls of concern from residents about coyotes in their neighborhoods and sightings of coyotes eating feral cats (which could have been pets). —Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024

Brought over by settlers in the 1800s to hunt rats on ships, feral cats thrived, living on an island full of species that were not adapted to escape them. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024

Regardless of the exact mechanism, having a large number of feral cats around means trouble for more than just animal shelters. —Sachi Mulkey, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2024

The visuals pair well with the feral, mischievous energy that pervades the record. —Beverly Bryan, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024

Original photo source: Prince Of Wales/Kensington Palace By The New York Times Having set out to control her image, Catherine now finds herself in a predicament not unlike some of her royal forebears, dogged by an online pack no less feral than the photographers who chased Diana in Paris. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Today’s great reads (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) Threatened in their homeland, feral Mexican parrots thrive on L.A.’s exotic landscaping. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024

The dogs were mostly abandoned, many were feral and a number of them had lost legs after being hit by cars. —Claire Fahy, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024

The feral pig population has skyrocketed on Oahu in recent years. —Cathy Free, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024

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

Kids Definition

feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl  ˈfer- 

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats