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 of critter

• animal
• 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

Extreme heat, tempting open bodies of water and outdoor critters can all prove deadly. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 July 2026

Fish and other tiny critters get grouped together in the remaining shallow puddles. — Alex Harris july 8, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

Most of us bird-lovers buy the birdseed for the birds and aren’t interested in sharing with any four-legged critters. — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026

Be sure to use lidded containers for trash and animal feed, and find other ways to attract birds while keeping other critters away. — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 1 July 2026

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