1
as in wild
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a novel that reveals just how thin the veneer of civilization is and how feral we are at bottom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in animal
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feral
The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
While the image of the girl-villain, Samara, feral and wet, climbing out of a television, is the lingering horrifying image in our cultural imagination, Lisowski adeptly points to the more violent horrors of the story.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Congressional Republicans are actually fractious at best, like a room of feral cats the rest of the time—which is why Trump passed only one major piece of legislation in his first term and Republican House speakers last as long as the average mayfly.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Although the bulk of their cases are for animals that already have a home, the nonprofit also devotes resources to tackling feral cat colonies, including trapping felines, administering vaccines and treating medical problems.
—Magali Gauthier, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Adjective
Its third album, Getting Killed, a feral, clanging animal of a record, propelled the group into the stratosphere this year, but its members have been making noise underground — literally, in some cases — since childhood.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
While the image of the girl-villain, Samara, feral and wet, climbing out of a television, is the lingering horrifying image in our cultural imagination, Lisowski adeptly points to the more violent horrors of the story.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Congressional Republicans are actually fractious at best, like a room of feral cats the rest of the time—which is why Trump passed only one major piece of legislation in his first term and Republican House speakers last as long as the average mayfly.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025
Although the bulk of their cases are for animals that already have a home, the nonprofit also devotes resources to tackling feral cat colonies, including trapping felines, administering vaccines and treating medical problems.
—Magali Gauthier, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
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But every point matters for the Sabres, and these 2 were enough to put them in the second wild-card spot based on points percentage.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Those interviews can be conducted through wild-card weekend and are limited to three hours in length.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of brute-force computation or countless lines of custom code, AI uses advanced algorithms to spot patterns, organize massive datasets, and highlight issues that might otherwise take weeks of manual work to uncover.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
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Where its larger cousin evolved for brute strength with thick legs and a bone-crushing bite, Nanotyrannus took a different approach to hunting prey.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Johnson said that the animal caused extensive damage to his home, costing tens of thousands of dollars.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Deputies arrested Sargent on Thursday on two felony animal-cruelty counts and one misdemeanor count.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This experience prioritizes the animals’ wellbeing by focusing on increasing the population, collecting data, and working with experts who have success in re-wilding.—
Jack Tydeman,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
Francesca Krempa,
Outside,
9 Jan. 2026
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Phạm Lockwood also spoke with Huan Nguyen, the sole survivor of a massacre of a South Vietnamese family in Saigon, a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by Capt.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Abby’s Magical Beasties, where one of the beasties goes missing, and Abby must problem-solve.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
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In a horrific twist, Kasumi (Kana Hanazawa) wakes up way too early — and thus has to battle the ferocious beasties to survive.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This league is a savage league.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
22 Dec. 2025
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The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Their natural scent is complex, and often described as animalistic.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
19 Dec. 2025
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One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.—
Jordan Himelfarb,
Time,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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