primeval

adjective

prī-ˈmē-vəl How to pronounce primeval (audio)
Definition of primevalnext
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 primeval The fragrance that wafts from the dish when the lid is lifted heightens the anticipation, the nose being the first point of entry and the most primeval of our senses. — Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026 The landscape of Rapa Nui probably never incorporated the sort of primeval forest of palm trees imagined in popular accounts, Pitts writes, but was more mixed, and scrubbier, with no one species of charismatic megaflora dominating. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026 Astrophysicists now believe that this nebulous stuff is a stellar incubator; the primeval chaos from which star formation is presently underway. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026 Instead, the franchise has been retooled for this brutal and bleak moment, further weaponizing desperation at a time when competition already feels omnipresent and almost primeval. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primeval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval
  1. ancient
  2. primitive
  3. primal
  4. prehistoric
  5. primordial
  6. early
Adjective
  • In a sport written about in ancient Greek literature, no one has thrown a discus as far as Mykolas Alekna.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The story follows ancient creatures appearing in the modern world, prompting heroes from different countries to confront a rising darkness threatening the region.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • Some researchers have argued that LUCA was a complex cell with a primitive immune system to protect against viruses.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Porous feet deliver The researchers designed and 3D-printed three hemispherical TPMS variants—primitive, gyroid and diamond—and evaluated their mechanical properties through compression testing.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Either way, the spread of kudzu, Burmese pythons, Joro spiders, mosquitoes, killer bees, and Asiatic false hawk’s-beards, to name just a few, has tugged on some primal taproot in us.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In many corners of the internet, tallow isn’t marketed simply as a moisturizer but as a return to something more primal and distinctly masculine.
    — Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • Scientists have recovered ancient human DNA directly from cave walls in Spain and Portugal, opening a new way to study the people behind prehistoric rock art.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey led the prehistoric revival, which revolved around a top-secret quest to retrieve the DNA of dinosaurs to create a miracle drug.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • Life on Earth is thought to have emerged from the primordial ooze some four billion years ago.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Here, a source of primordial terror—the gaze that petrifies—is deflected by way of the highly polished shield that Perseus wields against the creature.
    — Jan Tumlir, Artforum, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of primordial
Adjective
  • Winds in the early afternoon Saturday will last for several hours.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Two grandparents and their 3-year-old grandson were killed after multiple Russian drones destroyed their home in the Brovary district of Kyiv region, northeast of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of early

Browse Nearby Words

primes
primeval
priming
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Cite this Entry

“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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