Neanderthal

noun

Ne·​an·​der·​thal nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl  -ˌthȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

plural Neanderthals

1

or less commonly Neandertal

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

or Neanderthal man or Neandertal man plural Neandertals or Neanderthal men or Neandertal men : a hominid (Homo neanderthalensis synonym H. sapiens neanderthalensis) known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia that lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago

2

: a person who suggests a caveman in appearance, mentality, or behavior

… heckled by a bunch of Neanderthals …

—Bonitta Best

But the man is also not a Neanderthal. His mother was an English teacher, and her son quotes Henry David Thoreau …

—Seth Emerson

Neanderthal adjective

or less commonly Neandertal

Neanderthaloid

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯ-ˌlȯid

-ˌthȯ- 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtä-

adjective or noun

Synonyms

• hulk
• lump
• loser
• moron
• idiot
• skunk
• stupid
• villain
• brute
• turkey
• mutt
• clown

Examples of Neanderthal in a Sentence

I can't believe I was married to that Neanderthal for three years.

Some Neanderthals continue to resist the education reform bill.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond its direct usage, the bone tool also helps contextualize Neanderthal’s relationship to cave lions, which coexisted alongside them for hundreds of thousands of years. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2025

Details in the new research suggest that Neanderthals may have been unexpectedly sophisticated in their approach to nutrition, too. —Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 4 July 2025

These discoveries have prompted scientists to consider whether Neanderthals have been wrongly underestimated. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2025

What If Neanderthals Lived with Humans? Unlike humans, who are experts in optimization and always looking for ways to further perfect our efficiency, Neanderthals weren’t capable of the same imagination. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Neanderthal, valley in western Germany

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Neanderthal

• artisanal
• autosomal
• azimuthal
• cholesterol
• ergosterol
• lysosomal
• microsomal
• mycorrhizal
• resorcinol
• ribosomal
• salbutamol
• aerosol

Kids Definition

Neanderthal

noun

Ne·​an·​der·​thal nē-ˈan-dər-ˌthȯl  -ˌtȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

1

or Neandertal

-ˌtȯl 

-ˌtäl

: a primate mammal that belongs to the same family as human beings, lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago, is known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and is characterized especially by a stocky muscular build and prominent browridge

called also Neanderthal man

2

: one who suggests a caveman in appearance, behavior, or intelligence

Neanderthal adjective