subhuman

adjective

ˌsəb-ˈhyü-mən How to pronounce subhuman (audio)
Definition of subhumannext
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal years of grinding poverty that had reduced them to a subhuman existence

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 subhuman The individuals and groups committing these acts are subhuman. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Feb. 2025 Yet today’s LLMs are distinctly subhuman in their ability to absorb and understand large quantities of information. — Ars Technica, 20 Dec. 2024 Cinematographers Alejandro Chávez and Trevor Roach shoot the underworld where the victims work and live with limited light sources creating a drab, oppressive environment that highlight the subhuman conditions they are subjected to. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024 Others, including Gali, say the term took on a darker tone that denigrates Native women, relegating them to a subhuman stature. — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for subhuman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subhuman
  1. brute
  2. brutal
  3. feral
  4. bestial
Adjective
  • There’s a new generation of drugs about to hit the market that didn’t originate with elegant hypotheses, but rather from brute-force analyses of massive datasets.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
  • Rather than relying on brute force, the Candela C-8 achieves impressive performance through hydrofoils that lift the hull above the water.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Definition of brute
Adjective
  • But for one more summer, there’s Wednesday night hockey in the suburbs, the tickets are cheap, the autographs are free, and the arena is air conditioned in the midst of a brutal heat wave.
    — Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 17 July 2026
  • Shop Cooling Summer Dresses at REI This summer has proven to be particularly brutal, with heat waves engulfing a massive portion of the country.
    — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • More important, Tubbs detected in Ferguson someone who, under the feral exterior, shared his affection for hard work and heterodox thinking and quietly nursed a desire to become part of something larger than himself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Not every invasive species is as dramatic or fearsome as a Burmese python or a feral hog—but that doesn’t lessen their impact on native ecosystems.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 July 2026
Definition of feral
Adjective
  • Those who believe Israelis and Jews capable of such an outrage might feel justified in wishing that such bestial monsters were wiped from the Earth—a shift from disgust to dehumanization to possible destruction that is well charted by social psychologists.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
  • Neither one of these people appears to be enjoying themselves, but the woman soon begins to grunt with the bestial upset of a werewolf under a full moon.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Definition of bestial

Browse Nearby Words

subheads
subhuman
subhumid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subhuman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subhuman. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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