Illustration of tiger
- tiger 1a
plural tigers
1
plural also tiger
a
: a large Asian carnivorous mammal (Panthera tigris) of the cat family having a usually tawny coat transversely striped with black
b
: any of several large wildcats (such as the jaguar or cougar)
c
: a domestic cat with striped pattern
d
Australia
: tasmanian tiger
2
a
: a fierce, daring, or aggressive person or quality
aroused the tiger in him
a tiger for work
b
: someone or something (such as a situation) that is formidable or impossible to control
… how the tiger of inflation can be tamed.—
J. A. Davenport
—often used in the phrases ride a tiger and have a tiger by the tail
J. A. Davenport3
British
: a groom in livery
tigerishly
adverb
tigerishness
noun
Examples of tiger in a Sentence
He was a tiger on the basketball court.
even the best defense can't keep that tiger from scoring
Recent Examples on the Web
Karina Dixit, a housewife of fifty-six, wept before Durga perched on her marble tiger.
—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Alligators, crocodiles, lions, tigers, and bears might have to become supper.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Between the moody, sculpted florals and the tiger print, this one packs a punch.
—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
Having a pet tiger certainly helps matters, but Jasmine isn’t scared of anyone or anything.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Alligators, crocodiles, lions, tigers, and bears might have to become supper.
—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2026
Between the moody, sculpted florals and the tiger print, this one packs a punch.
—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
Having a pet tiger certainly helps matters, but Jasmine isn’t scared of anyone or anything.
—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tiger
Cite this Entry
“Tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tiger. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tiger
noun
ti·ger
ˈtī-gər 
plural tigers also tiger
1
: a large Asian flesh-eating mammal of the same family as the domestic cat with a coat that is typically light brown to orange with mostly vertical black stripes
2
: any of several large wildcats (as the jaguar or cougar)
3
: a domestic cat with a striped coat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
