creature

noun

ˈkrē-chər How to pronounce creature (audio)
Definition of creaturenext
1
as in animal
one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings a saint who is celebrated for his love of birds and other small creatures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in person
a member of the human race we must try to be kind to our fellow creatures

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 creature But in their more than 50 million years on Earth, these maligned creatures have developed some admirable qualities, too. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 And those kelp forests are—or were—marvels of diversity, providing a shelter for a wild array of ocean creatures from jeweled top sea snails to barrel-bodied harbor seals. — Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026 The creepy creatures lurking on front lawns this Halloween season might just owe their frightful flair to a Charlotte resident. — Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026 Rahardjo’s next project is a creature feature unfolding in a countryside village in Indonesia. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for creature
Recent Examples of Synonyms for creature
  1. animal
  2. person
  3. man
  4. life
  5. guy
  6. human
Noun
  • Teeling and other bat researchers are studying aspects of the animals’ longevity, including bats’ ability to repair their DNA and harbor viruses without getting sick, for clues in order to enhance our own lives.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Los Angeles city attorney’s office is suing an animal rescue organization that was once a favorite among Hollywood celebrities, alleging that its owner purchased dogs from puppy mills and portrayed them to adopters as animals that were rescued.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of animal
Noun
  • Clever touches—in-room iMacs; a choice of colors from the bedside light; two do not disturb signs, one of a person sleeping, the other clearly suggesting that the couple inside are not—make your stay memorable, as do the eager-to-please staff.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities withheld the person’s identity pending notification of family members.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • Sal Frelick moved in from left to form a five-man infield, with three defenders on the left side and everyone playing in.
    — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • But, since the Japanese Shogi Association was established in 1924, every single kishi player has been a man.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of man
Noun
  • Believing her daughter’s life was on the line, Del Mastro followed the caller’s instructions for five hours.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Three of those defendants, in agreements, pleaded guilty to capital murder and were sentenced to life without parole.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of life
Noun
  • Unfortunately, had two guys in the same spot, going for the ball.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Casey announced, before giving the guy the band tee and thanking him for being a good sport.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • Indiana University School of Medicine virologist Natasha Tilston-Lunel highlights the Oropouche cases, but notes that the Schmallenberg virus, which is closely related to Shamonda, has been found to be widespread in livestock but not humans.
    — Sahas Mehra, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • One example that demonstrates this is the MRI, something most humans will need at some point in their life.
    — Mattanjah de Vries, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of human

Phrases Containing creature

Browse Nearby Words

creatural
creature
creature comfort
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Creature.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/creature. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All