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feral

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective feral differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of feral are bestial, brutal, and brutish. While all these words mean "characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct," feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

In what contexts can bestial take the place of feral?

While the synonyms bestial and feral are close in meaning, bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

When would brutal be a good substitute for feral?

Although the words brutal and feral have much in common, brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

When is brutish a more appropriate choice than feral?

The meanings of brutish and feral largely overlap; however, brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of feral
Adjective
Foster has long favored playing wounded, sometimes feral characters whose violent tempers and outsized personalities have shone through the actor’s own imposing physical presence. Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 9 May 2025 The series centers on Xenomorph, a feral and screeching creature, and has an international cast that includes Sydney Chandler and Timothy Olyphant. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2025 Mining, feral animals and shifting fire regimes continue to shape its future. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 The three islands are home to more than 800 endemic plant and animal species, many of which are threatened by invasive mice, feral cats, and pigs. Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
  • From immersive fine dining in an aquarium to ziplining at the UAE’s highest peak, these 10 travel experiences showcase the country’s wild beauty, cultural richness and knack for world-class luxury for both first-time and frequent visitors.
    Natasha Amar, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • The rocky bluffs make the waters particularly treacherous, earning the tip of Door County a wild nickname: Death’s Door.
    Jacqueline Kehoe, AFAR Media, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Forces allied with the government and armed civilians responded with brute force.
    Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
  • The Pistons are young, competitive, brute, have already formed one of the league’s most in-your-face identities and now have experience, too.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • The Elk & Bison Prairie, located within the 17,000-acre Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area, offers a front-row view of these majestic animals.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
  • Both the human and animal bones are undergoing further study and radiocarbon dating to provide additional context.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • Lori survives the brutal events of prom night, but not without a fight.
    Jane LaCroix, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • Would a Venezuelan contestant who rolled off her log need to use her airline miles when forcibly flown to the waiting arms of Maduro’s brutal regime?
    Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • In this movie, their most formidable foes are a hellish bunch of beasties disguised as a rival boy band.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • Set in a fictional, secluded land of mountains and lakes, Ochi follows a plucky teen named Yuri (played by Helena Zengel), who’s been raised by her father to fear and hunt the reclusive little beasties called ochi.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Noun
  • To prevent critters from making a vehicle home sweet home, make sure the interior is kept clean and with no food residue left behind to attract them.
    Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • Discover which critters enjoy that menu, their unique eating methods, and the important role each plays in our ecosystem.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • Danielle Dufault/Royal Ontario Museum Paleontologists have discovered a three-eyed creature with a pencil sharpener-like mouth that roamed the sea for prey more than 500 million years ago.
    Alana Wise, NPR, 17 May 2025
  • They are set upon by one of Eudoxia’s five sons and his warband of mutant creatures – half-man, half-animal abominations created by the former Empress as part of her many diabolical experiments.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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