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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of feral
Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
In total, these feral bees now comprise about 90% of all bees in the area, according to the study.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Wild pigs, also known as feral swine, have been in the U.S. since the 1500s.
—Vanessa Countryman, USA Today, 22 July 2025
However, this remarkable biodiversity was nearly destroyed following the introduction of invasive mammals brought by humans – specifically, feral sheep and domestic cats.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Noun
After more than a decade of diligence and care, Brodt has helped bring that feral cat population down from around 200 to less than 50.
—Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
In total, these feral bees now comprise about 90% of all bees in the area, according to the study.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Wild pigs, also known as feral swine, have been in the U.S. since the 1500s.
—Vanessa Countryman, USA Today, 22 July 2025
However, this remarkable biodiversity was nearly destroyed following the introduction of invasive mammals brought by humans – specifically, feral sheep and domestic cats.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
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Historian Terry Bouton has argued compellingly that most of the framers, landholding elites, deeply mistrusted the mass of American countrymen, and saw democracy as a wild, unruly stallion that needed to be tamed.—
Matthew Redmond
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Fans used to seeing the Kansas City Chiefs star all suited up for football games or a night out with gf Taylor Swift may do a double take at the (literally) wild spread.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While Ukraine and its Western backers haggle over how much more of Donbas Kyiv should surrender, the land Russia has already captured by brute force is barely mentioned at all.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
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Forget the outdated notion of leadership that powers through by brute force - the modern flex?—
Jason Walker PsyD,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Both beloved animals have died, the zoo announced Friday.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
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Strange animals that get their energy from chemical reactions instead of the sun have been discovered at the bottom of ocean trenches up to 31,000 feet deep in the northwest Pacific between Russia and Alaska, a new study reports.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
At the world’s southern edge, where nature is brutal and time stands still, hunters, herders and families endure the cold and solitude as ghosts roam the pampa.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Launch control is a wild ride, equal parts fun and brutal, as all that boost sends the V-6 screaming.—
Jonny Lieberman,
Robb Report,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Most of the remaining beasties now live on remote islands near the equator, and most humans would conveniently like to forget them.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 June 2025
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That hybrid classification extends to recent hits such as Minecraft and Sonic the Hedgehog, which combine live actors with CGI beasties.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
Noun
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With the snake out of the tunnel and train traffic clear to commence, Mackenzie places the reptile in a netted bag to remove the critter from the home.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Researchers have seen that wild horses and burros will hog water tanks, streams, and other water sources — often to the detriment of native critters like deer and antelope, which are easily bullied by a big stallion.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Players will need to survive a brutal future, extract key people from the past and stop nightmarish creatures.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Housing marine creatures, the facility was on the forefront of understanding the care and training of dolphins.—
Bonnie Gross,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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