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feral

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective feral differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of feral are bestial, brutal, and brutish. While all these words mean "characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct," feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

In what contexts can bestial take the place of feral?

While the synonyms bestial and feral are close in meaning, bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

When would brutal be a good substitute for feral?

Although the words brutal and feral have much in common, brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

When is brutish a more appropriate choice than feral?

The meanings of brutish and feral largely overlap; however, brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

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 feral
Adjective
Rubin hopes the study will provide the federal agencies responsible for the herds with a better understanding of how the overpopulation of feral burros in Arizona are negatively impacting their habitat and native species. John Leos, AZCentral.com, 23 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 The animals are difficult to survey, but experts estimate that the United States is now home to at least six million feral hogs, descendants of those early farm animals and Eurasian wild boars that arrived later. New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
  • The honks of wild Canada geese, for instance, fresh out of the Arctic and now high in the clouds going south, signal a change in seasons for me.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The Jets finally earned their first win of the season in Week 8 after a wild comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals, but with their 1-7 record and seemingly no future in sight, new general manager Darren Mougey has opted to ship his star corner.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 4 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
  • 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
  • Elaine said the song resonates with her because of her dedication to raising awareness for animal rescue charities.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
  • 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
  • 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
  • Here's everything to know about the late female killer and her brutal crimes.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • The grisly events in El Fasher come over two and a half years into a brutal civil war that has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Abby’s Magical Beasties, where one of the beasties goes missing, and Abby must problem-solve.
    Sarah Scott, Parents, 3 Nov. 2025
  • 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
  • The warm, relatable territory where the first season ends up doesn’t fully square with the savage satire promised by the pilot.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2025
  • August Strindberg’s savage chamber drama gets transported to Ireland in Liv Ullmann’s sharp, surprisingly suspenseful adaptation.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Scary Farm visitors will enter the maze as military recruits arriving at the secret lab to be transformed into animalistic super soldiers using one of three methods — surgery, chemical treatments or genetic mutations.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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