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
People WeeklyWhen 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
Alexander WolffFlies, 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 personCharlene StricklandSale admits that humans, being the relatively big-brained critters we are, cannot do without technology …—M. Kujawa
M. Kujawa
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
After analyzing squirrel bones dating to medieval England, researchers found that the furry critters carried a strain of a leprosy-causing bacterium strikingly similar to the one many Brits harbored centuries ago.
—Bysean Cummings, science.org, 7 Aug. 2024
The reason Irish Spring soap works well as a deterrent for bugs, rodents, and other unwelcome critters is the strong scent.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2024
This Cambrian period critter is now considered a part of a specific group of arthropods called the mandibulates, who went on to become some of the most successful animals on our planet in and out of the water.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 July 2024
Going back to Rin Tin Tin, critters like Bailey (A Dog’s Purpose), Enzo (Running in the Rain) and Marley (Marley and Me) have contributed their share of financial oxytocin at the box office.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for critter 
Bysean Cummings, science.org, 7 Aug. 2024
The reason Irish Spring soap works well as a deterrent for bugs, rodents, and other unwelcome critters is the strong scent.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 July 2024
This Cambrian period critter is now considered a part of a specific group of arthropods called the mandibulates, who went on to become some of the most successful animals on our planet in and out of the water.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 July 2024
Going back to Rin Tin Tin, critters like Bailey (A Dog’s Purpose), Enzo (Running in the Rain) and Marley (Marley and Me) have contributed their share of financial oxytocin at the box office.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for critter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'critter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to critter
Dictionary Entries Near critter
Cite this Entry
“Critter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/critter. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share