Definition of FERAL

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

Around 50,000 to 70,000 feral horses roam the Navajo Nation, according to a statement from his office. — Alex Devoid, azcentral, "Volunteers care for Navajo wild horses during drought, despite overpopulation concerns," 13 July 2018 Tribal officials estimate tens of thousands of feral horses on the Navajo Nation, the country's largest reservation spanning 27,000 square miles (69,929.679 square kilometers) in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. — CBS News, "Nearly 200 horses found dead amid Southwest drought in Arizona," 6 May 2018 SUBSCRIBE TODAY Banker horses, as they are called, are a a breed of feral horses that live on Outer Banks areas of Ocracoke, Shackleford and Currituck Banks. — Mark Price, charlotteobserver, "Small herd of wild horses on NC barrier island welcomes an addition to the family | Charlotte Observer," 4 May 2018 Doubling down on the glamour, Boyd’s look was the perfect counterpart to Harrison, with his unkempt dark shag and feral brows. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "This Rock Star Wife’s Bridal Beauty Set the Bar for a City Hall Ceremony," 21 Jan. 2019 Their idyll is interrupted when a feral and mysterious 14-year-old girl shoots their cattle dead, sending Wyatt Smith into Utah's hyper-violent crime underworld to find her. — refinery29.com, "How Rae DelBianco Went From Cattle Farmer To Bookstagram Queen To Literary Darling — All By 25," 13 July 2018 Cézanne himself, in self-portraits, is very present, looking alternately feral and professorial. — New York Times, "23 Art Exhibitions to View in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 5 July 2018 Recent studies suggest that in the United States alone, outdoor and feral cats kill 2.4 billion birds per year and as many as 12.3 billion small mammals. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Australian Feral Cats Eat More Than a Million Reptiles Per Day," 26 June 2018 Retreating into himself and getting a little deranged and feral and starting to eat out of the garbage and walking on all fours, ending up unrecognizable to his family? — Devin Friedman, GQ, "Dads Don’t Have to Be Bad Friends," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'feral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.