critter

noun

crit·​ter ˈkri-tər 

informal

: an animal : creature sense 1

Most of her sublime illustrations involve hippos and pigs, which are appealing critters, especially when they have a few chocolate smudges around the mouth.

—People Weekly

When the wind is blowing just so, the field is set afire on three sides, and all manner of critters get flushed out of one end—snakes, possums, raccoons, and rabbits, lots of rabbits.

—Alexander Wolff

Flies, gnats, mosquitoes, ticks, mites and lice pester your horse year-round. If you ignore them, these critters can cause your equine friend months of misery.

—Charlene Strickland

—sometimes used of a person

Sale admits that humans, being the relatively big-brained critters we are, cannot do without technology …

—M. Kujawa

Synonyms

• animal
• beast
• beastie
• brute
• creature

Examples of critter in a Sentence

The woods are filled with skunks, raccoons, and other critters.

she's so fond of every kind of critter that she ought to be a veterinarian

Recent Examples on the Web

To prevent critters from making a vehicle home sweet home, make sure the interior is kept clean and with no food residue left behind to attract them. —Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

Discover which critters enjoy that menu, their unique eating methods, and the important role each plays in our ecosystem. —Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025

There are fun facts about flora and fauna, hidden critters and plants, and more. —Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 20 Apr. 2025

Use the Premack Principle: let your dog briefly watch the critter as a reward after obeying a cue. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

by alteration

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for critter

• bitter
• fitter
• fritter
• glitter
• hitter
• jitter
• knitter
• litter
• quitter
• ritter
• splitter
• titter

Kids Definition

critter

noun

crit·​ter ˈkrit-ər 

informal

: creature