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
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025
There, the feral irreverence that once made her alluring becomes inconvenient, and Lawrence plays a series of tics in search of a character.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Set two-hundred years after atomic armageddon, residents of Vault-Tec’s network of luxury fallout habitats begin to explore the radioactive territory outside their shelters and discover a nightmarish world of militant factions, irradiated creatures, vicious raiders, and feral monsters.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Its third album, Getting Killed, a feral, clanging animal of a record, propelled the group into the stratosphere this year, but its members have been making noise underground — literally, in some cases — since childhood.
—The Editors, Curbed, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feral
Adjective
They are pinched into a bright, almost surgical nasality or burst loose into grand, sideways arcs, flaring out in a feral yelp.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for feral
Adjective
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But every point matters for the Sabres, and these 2 were enough to put them in the second wild-card spot based on points percentage.—
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Those interviews can be conducted through wild-card weekend and are limited to three hours in length.—
Adjective
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Josh Jacobs ran with brute force on high volume.—
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There’s not much on 1 IN A MILLION that will blow you away; the beats are of the same unmiraculous mold—Michigan brute force meets Louisiana jig—that has been holding down Florida street rap for the last half-decade, and the lyrics rarely jump off the page on their own.—
Noun
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Los Angeles County animal services officers recovered approximately 200 ducks from a box truck in Palmdale on Wednesday morning.—
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The shelter also had problems serving the existing community, taking in fewer animals due to difficulties moving them through adoption or rescue, and placing greater emphasis on caring for sick or injured animals.—
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.—
Adjective
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Between wading or boating into choppy surf, baking in the hot sun, and getting doused in salty spray, the elements are brutal on the human body and the gear meant to withstand them.—
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Phạm Lockwood also spoke with Huan Nguyen, the sole survivor of a massacre of a South Vietnamese family in Saigon, a brutal attack allegedly orchestrated by Capt.—
Noun
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Abby’s Magical Beasties, where one of the beasties goes missing, and Abby must problem-solve.—
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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.—
Adjective
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This league is a savage league.—
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The fifth-place finisher also reveals the inspiration for her savage jury question to Savannah.—
Adjective
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Their natural scent is complex, and often described as animalistic.—
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One quality that distinguishes the very best chess players is killer instinct, an almost animalistic will to win.—
Cite this Entry
“Feral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feral. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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