Neanderthal 1 of 2

noun

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl How to pronounce Neanderthal (audio)
Definition of Neanderthalnext
1
as in hulk
a big clumsy often slow-witted person they looked like a tribe of Neanderthals compared to the bridegroom's patrician-looking family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barbarian
a man with crude manners and habits and outmoded attitudes made the mistake of dining with some Neanderthal who repeatedly mistook his shirtsleeve for a napkin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Neanderthal

2 of 2

adjective

variants or Neandertal
as in rude
not civilized her boyfriend's Neanderthal tastes and manners were often embarrassing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Neanderthal
Noun
This didn’t become common practice until a few hundred years ago, but at least one Neanderthal apparently figured it out and convinced someone to go along with it. — ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026 And all of those size differences are too small to have any effect on cognitive ability, so Neanderthals could easily be on par with our species there, too. — ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026 One key piece of evidence comes from a 2008 study published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, which analyzed DNA extracted from Neanderthal remains found at the El Sidrón site in Spain. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2026 Archaeologists frequently find birch tar at Neanderthal archaeological sites, which comes from birch trees. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Neanderthal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Neanderthal
  1. hulk
  2. barbarian
  3. rude
  4. lump
  5. animal
  6. savage
  7. loser
  8. caveman
Noun
  • In the film, Russell wants a hulk of a man but doesn’t care about money, while Monroe transparently is looking for a man who can fuel her desire for diamonds.
    — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026
  • When Krem takes off in Kara’s spacecraft, a rusted hulk that’s like an interplanetary RV, and shoots her beloved dog Krypto with a lethal tranquilizer that will result in agonizing death in three days, Kara joins Ruthye on her revenge quest.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2026
Definition of hulk
Noun
  • The world drew heavily from the paintings of fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta, who depicted scenes of barbarians and beasts in conflict, of pulp fiction heroes, femme fatales, and fierce warrior women.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • To an outsider, the scene may spark a certain Schadenfreude, like an army of tiny barbarians sacking Rome.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of barbarian
Adjective
  • In the nearly 90-second recording, Varela calls the customer service representative lazy, rude and racist and asks her for her name tag.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Posey can deliver an absurd line with such conviction that arguing with her would seem rude.
    — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of rude
Noun
  • The winning appetizer, though, was the aesthetically humble but nonetheless delicious jumbo lump crab cake, a mustardy affair crowned with pickled radish.
    — Connie Ogle July 31, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • Battered metal is as crucial to his kit as conventional drum sounds, and even his tonal elements feel as malleable as wrung-out sponges or wet lumps of clay.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Definition of lump
Noun
  • Scientists like Munster are indispensable for figuring out the source of pandemic viruses, whether bats, pigs, rats, or some other animal, Andersen said.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • In addition to the startling experience of touching the remains of an animal that lived hundreds of millions of years ago, contact with the Mastodonsaurus offers an opportunity to reflect on the future, those involved in the project said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of animal
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • No longer football’s famous losers, Newcastle’s identity was now blurred.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026
  • Winners and losers in the shifting tax landscape Critics say the trend toward lower income taxes favors wealthy individuals and corporations and imperils public investments in infrastructure, housing, education and childcare.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of loser
Noun
  • The challenge was to figure out what exactly appeared on the caveman food pyramid.
    — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
  • There’s a lyric where reporters are wondering why Mullally’s Vera Vim, a fading actress, bought a caveman.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Definition of caveman

Browse Nearby Words

ne'er-do-wells
Neanderthal
Neanderthals
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Cite this Entry

“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Neanderthal. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Neanderthal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Neanderthal

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