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 of feral

• wild
• wilding
• savage

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

Beyond the feral obsession with Jacob Elordi–earring, tooth, tongue, and back included–the lasting impact of Wuthering Heights will most likely be in the style sphere. —Alice Cary, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2026

Annie, whose time alone in the Jungle Room has left her paranoid, if not wholly feral, initially hides from this all-male crew. —Judy Berman, Time, 23 Feb. 2026

State Highway 130 has a stretch with a speed limit of eighty-five miles an hour, the highest in the country; the night the road opened, three cars crashed into feral hogs. —Tad Friend, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

The meat is tougher than poultry raised for harvesting, and the feral birds can be a vector of disease. —ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026

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

Rhymes for feral

• beryl
• karel
• peril
• seral
• sterile
• sterol
• carbaryl
• glyceryl
• imperil
• cholesteryl
• sitosterol
• tocopherol

Kids Definition

feral

adjective

fe·​ral ˈfir-əl  ˈfer- 

: having escaped from domestication and become wild

feral cats