hyena

noun

hy·e·na | \ hī-ˈē-nə

plural hyenas also hyena

Definition of hyena

: any of several large strong nocturnal carnivorous Old World mammals (family Hyaenidae) that usually feed as scavengers

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Did You Know?

There are three species of hyena— doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa. Actually more closely related to cats than to dogs, hyenas have coarse fur, four toes on each foot, long forelegs, claws that do not retract, and enormously strong jaws and teeth. They live alone or in packs and may be active by night or day. Hyenas are noted for scavenging but will also attack live prey. The spotted, or laughing, hyena, whose calls alternately resemble wailing and maniacal laughter, ranges through much of sub-Saharan Africa. Yellowish or grayish with dark spots, it is about 6½ ft (1.8 m) long, including the 12-in (30-cm) tail, and weighs up to 175 lb (80 kg). The hyena has been known to attack people and even to carry off young children.

Examples of hyena in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ancient hyenas probably traveled to North America from Asia via a land bridge before making their way south. — Michelle Lou, CNN, "Hyenas roamed the Arctic during the last ice age. Their teeth tell the tale.," 18 June 2019 Fashing has seen gelada finger nails in the feces of hyenas. — Craig Welch, National Geographic, "These tough-looking monkeys eke out a living at 11,000 feet," 28 Mar. 2019 Feeling the sting of insignificance—rare in this age of narcissism—while observing the migration of 1.5 million wildebeests. Digesting the necessary cruelty of the hyena kill. — Laura Dannen Redman, Condé Nast Traveler, "18 Summers: The Ultimate Guide to Not Wasting a Single Vacation With Your Kids," 20 July 2018 Simba does so, and Scar becomes king, with three obnoxious hyenas as his henchmen. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Surprise! Disney drops first trailer for “live-action” film The Lion King," 23 Nov. 2018 Those big grazers would have supported wolves, hyenas, and, apparently, early hominins. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Hominins lived in China 2.1 million years ago," 11 July 2018 As such, prisoners were held inside prison cells along with animals like hyenas, lions and tigers for intimidation purposes. — Elias Meseret, The Seattle Times, "Ethiopia arrests former president of the Somali region," 27 Aug. 2018 In reality, many liberals may be pig-selfish, and many conservatives may have the character of a hyena, but let that pass. — Joseph Epstein, WSJ, "There’s Too Much Virtue in Politics," 31 July 2018 But people are obviously attached to their dogs, and here they are needed for hunting and to protect huts against thieves, crops against baboons, and livestock against hyenas. — New York Times, "Nearly Eradicated in Humans, the Guinea Worm Finds New Victims: Dogs," 18 June 2018

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