1
as in wild
living outdoors without taming or domestication by humans
animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets
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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
Bob Bonniol, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
There are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats roaming the streets in the United States, and most shelters are constantly at full capacity.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Then a few years ago, thanks to feral predator control and breeding programs, Western quolls were reintroduced to the wild in the Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Something evil's lurking in the dark In Rice's books, Revenant vampires are terrifying, mindless, feral monsters.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Adjective
When the tools get cheap enough, imagination goes feral.
—Bob Bonniol, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
There are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats roaming the streets in the United States, and most shelters are constantly at full capacity.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Then a few years ago, thanks to feral predator control and breeding programs, Western quolls were reintroduced to the wild in the Mount Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in the wheatbelt of Western Australia.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Something evil's lurking in the dark In Rice's books, Revenant vampires are terrifying, mindless, feral monsters.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
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Seek out wild places and remember that your body is not made to be hacked or optimized but to connect you to the earth beneath your feet.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Nov. 2025
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What’s even wilder, even more mind-blowing about this barrage of bricks?—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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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Elaine said the song resonates with her because of her dedication to raising awareness for animal rescue charities.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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In animal trials, the devices successfully navigated through the circulatory system and reached target brain regions autonomously, delivering localized stimulation with micrometer precision.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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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Recently, the vast majority have been coming from Sudan, embroiled in a brutal civil war which has displaced millions.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Musically, Lee took on the air of a woman revealing intimate truths about herself one year at a time, shedding layers as a way of rewarding patience with honesty, no matter how brutal.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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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The Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in a savage storm with hurricane-force winds around 100-mile-an-hour and waves up to 60 feet, crashing down on the freighter every four to eight seconds, says Bacon.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something).—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Ones where the monster, their creator, or both are possessed by throbbing, animalistic lust.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
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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,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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