as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
with animalistic fury the boxer tore into his opponent
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Recent Examples of animalistic
The characters live in a world of mud, rain, wind, and animalistic yearning, reflecting the bugs and birds and rabbits and dogs and livestock that surround them.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Venezuelan tonka bean absolute gets an edgier twist with palo santo and musk, while coconut powder balances the earthy and animalistic notes with a subtly fresh sweetness.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
So much of one’s experience at a restaurant is contextual, dependent on the arc and flow of a meal, and singling out any one specific creation or sensory experience forces me to take stock in a more granular, almost animalistic way.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Followed by the look of pure, animalistic pleasure.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
To bring in more of the animalistic influence, try styling your little black dress with a crocodile-leather-texture coat.
—Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2025
Dæmons seem to be an outward manifestation of the complex nature of humans that encompasses, male, female and animalistic characteristics that hint towards the breaking of gender binaries and the possibilities of interspecies relations.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Bergholm employs some very effective sound design here, giving just a hint of animalistic growling to the kid’s lusty cries.
—Catherine Bray, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Venezuelan tonka bean absolute gets an edgier twist with palo santo and musk, while coconut powder balances the earthy and animalistic notes with a subtly fresh sweetness.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 14 Jan. 2026
One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
So much of one’s experience at a restaurant is contextual, dependent on the arc and flow of a meal, and singling out any one specific creation or sensory experience forces me to take stock in a more granular, almost animalistic way.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Followed by the look of pure, animalistic pleasure.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025
To bring in more of the animalistic influence, try styling your little black dress with a crocodile-leather-texture coat.
—Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 24 Nov. 2025
Dæmons seem to be an outward manifestation of the complex nature of humans that encompasses, male, female and animalistic characteristics that hint towards the breaking of gender binaries and the possibilities of interspecies relations.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animalistic
Adjective
-
Over thousands of years of history, our propaganda has repeatedly sought to portray ourselves as the plucky underdogs, surviving against huge physical odds by marshaling our intelligence and native cunning against the brute forces of nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Rayan gave Mykolenko a torrid time, beating him with trickery, pace and brute force.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The regime accused protesters of being Israeli spies and deployed the brutal local paramilitary Basij force to suppress demonstrations which were sparked by poor economic conditions but transformed into calls for regime change.—
Farida Elsebai,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Olivia, Bailey’s mother, was really Kate Smith, and her father was Nicholas Bell (David Morse), famous mob lawyer for The Syndicate, or The Organization, a group notorious for crimes and brutal retaliation against their enemies.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
More than 1,300 chickens were caught through the program last year, said Honolulu Department of Customer Services spokesperson Harold Nedd, who added the department also saw a 51% increase in complaints about feral chickens in 2025.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Last week, the friction spiked in Miami-Dade when Regalado introduced legislation to create a $100 fine for people feeding feral cats, dogs and peacocks on public or commercial property.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some deep bestial neurological structures fired inappropriately and stoked within her an instinct of brute survival.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Channels the inner, bestial urges to release an unworldly howl that pushes back any nearby enemies.—
Oliver Brandt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Animalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animalistic. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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