1
as in mundane
having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven
the preacher warned that those who were interested only in carnal pursuits would not see the kingdom of heaven
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in physical
of or relating to the human body
a missionary who tends to the carnal needs of the people as well as to their spiritual concerns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensual
pleasing to the physical senses
carnal attractions of that gambling mecca in the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sensuality
excessive pursuit of fleshly pleasures
a rich playboy who was undone by his own carnality
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 carnal
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for carnal
Adjective
Decades later, Erika bears a carnal attraction to her Uncle Fritz (Martin Rother), an amputee who lies withering in pain in his bedroom.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for carnal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnal
Adjective
-
Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan had a rather mundane performance in the defeat, going 14-for-18 for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Tell Me Lies Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco's (Jackson White) relationship begins much the same as any other college romance, but their seemingly mundane choices lead to irreversible consequences.—
James Mercadante,
People.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Reuters uncovered an internal Meta document that allowed its AI chatbots to flirt with children and engage in sensual conversations.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Multiple sheer panels were designed throughout the gown, which evoked sensual energy.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s 10-episode first season is an immensely moving, blisteringly funny temporal travelogue.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The film, which is competing in Venice’s Horizons strand, continues Jenkin’s exploration of Cornish folklore and temporal themes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Today, Aubrey’s office can see only records about incidents involving death or great bodily injury, which comprise a fraction of police officers’ violent encounters.—
Mercury News Editorial,
Mercury News,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Cody Fields, 27, was charged Wednesday with causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more, and three misdemeanors.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And in a world where time is money, conditions are ripe for a perfect storm of greed, deceit, and willful gullibility—all in the hope of getting ahead faster than the rest.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Poignant, wryly funny, and exquisitely written, Uhle masterfully depicts the confluence of ambition and greed, pioneerism and narcissism, love and pain.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The terrestrial part of the park is mostly inaccessible during this time.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
-
And that’s true of rivers and fisheries, terrestrial wildlife, aquatic wildlife and birds.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Here, Stamp is pitted against a smarmy California counterpart played by another counterculture screen legend — Peter Fonda, of Easy Rider fame — and both men show how much the optimistic hedonism of the ’60s has soured.—
Christina Newland,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The creativity and hedonism of late-’60s and early-’70s L.A. come to life as one woman strives for fame, the other respect and each fights through turmoil to embrace her identity. Georgia, adopted into a wealthy southern family, is imprisoned in a psych ward, accused of murdering her sister.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnal. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share