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Synonym Chooser

How is the word carnal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of carnal are animal, fleshly, and sensual. While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature.

a slave to carnal desires

When can animal be used instead of carnal?

While the synonyms animal and carnal are close in meaning, animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.

led a mindless animal existence

How do fleshly and carnal relate to one another?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal.

a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of carnal?

While in some cases nearly identical to carnal, sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.

fleshpots providing sensual delights

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 carnal But the texting and blocking, the free-for-all backwaters of the internet and the carnal shenanigans that color contemporary TV teendom do put a different complexion on growing up. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025 Miranda, specifically, is in the middle of a three-month break from carnal knowledge. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Translating carnal attraction, magnetism, and deepening desire, Ropion says the fragrance is ripe with a flower that refuses to go unnoticed: tuberose. Essence, 24 Apr. 2025 This opulent unisex scent made for both men and women marries lush oud with velvety rose—along with equally sumptuous honey and saffron—for a carnal love potion designed for those who aren’t afraid to stand out. Mary Honkus, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carnal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnal
Adjective
  • The real big numbers on the expense side of the ledger is the mundane concrete and steel civil engineering needed to house the nuclear tech and the electrical gear that make up over half the budget.
    David Szondy August 04, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2025
  • To this end, experiences and interactions feel generic and mundane rather than novel and individualistic.
    Ab Gaur, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Felicia Gross, 33, of Jackson, faces multiple charges, including manslaughter, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, falsely reporting an incident, and two counts of tampering with a witness.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The patient’s physical condition eventually normalized and his psychotic symptoms subsided during his three-week hospital stint.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Generally, they're used as a style statement, paired with very sensual garments; however, adding a striped shirt under a corset can create a completely different silhouette.
    Michel Mejía, Glamour, 2 Aug. 2025
  • This can bring a more sensual, domestic and sweet energy to our lives and relationships.
    Kyle Thomas, People.com, 27 July 2025
Adjective
  • Drifting between moving-image formats and collaging local textures and bygone voices, Oscar Ruiz Navia’s film reflects on loss and mourning as experiences of temporal dislocation.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Without temporal intelligence, scale becomes noise.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The man, a Mexican national, pleaded not guilty to assaulting a federal officer, assaulting a federal officer resulting in bodily injury and destruction of government property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The following items are prohibited: Any object that can be used to inflict bodily injury or disrupt the event, chemical dispensing devices, noise-making devices, two-way radios.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The researchers used data from a suite of four NASA satellites to analyze changes in terrestrial water storage over the past 22 years.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 25 July 2025
  • The Underground Carbon Crisis Mycorrhizal fungi form vast underground networks that connect and sustain over 90% of all terrestrial plant species, channelling nutrients, supporting food systems, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Adjective
  • In 2022, the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 paved the way for alternatives to animal testing, and in December 2023, an NIH advisory committee made similar recommendations to develop non-animal methods.
    Rachel Fobar, Vox, 14 May 2025
  • Rendering is a process that transforms animal by-products, like leftover meat and fats...and yes, chicken feet, into usable materials, such as animal feed, fuel, and other industrial products.
    Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • Indulge in the earthly scents of Morocco and refresh your headspace with their Moroccan Hammam, or take an invigorating dip in the cold plunge to stimulate your mind and stimulate circulation in the body.
    Náosha Gregg, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • Because his reality emerges from fiction, Musk is untethered from any sense of earthly constraints.
    Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Carnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnal. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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