reptilian

1 of 2

adjective

rep·​til·​ian rep-ˈti-lē-ən 

-ˈtil-yən

1

: resembling or having the characteristics of the reptiles

2

: of or relating to the reptiles

3

: cold-bloodedly treacherous

… a reptilian villain!

—Theodore Dreiser

reptilian

2 of 2

noun

: reptile sense 2

Examples of reptilian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Whether in a shredded dress via GapStudio, a reptilian skin-like Ashi Studio gown, or mall goth boots on the beach, Ortega has stayed committed to the fashions of the night. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2025

But wasn’t this reptilian oddball simply too unsympathetic a part to catapult young Chalamet to Oscar glory? —Joe Reid, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2025

Noun

Social media has been flooded with images of frozen iguanas falling from trees, as their cold-blooded reptilian systems struggle to generate body heat and cope with the cold temperatures. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2025

Monday’s outing in Stella McCartney boots, however, showed the power of subtly mixing patterns, as her boots served as an unexpected yet complementary reptilian accent to her latest plaid moment. —Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reptilian

• castilian
• civilian
• cotillion
• pavilion
• postilion
• quadrillion
• vermilion
• vermillion
• billion
• million
• pillion
• trillion

Kids Definition

reptilian

adjective

rep·​til·​ian

rep-ˈtil-ē-ən

: of, relating to, or resembling reptiles