feral
1 Americanadjective
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existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not domesticated or cultivated; wild.
-
having reverted to the wild state, as from domestication.
a pack of feral dogs roaming the woods.
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of or characteristic of wild animals; ferocious; brutal.
adjective
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causing death; fatal.
-
funereal; gloomy.
adjective
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Also: ferine. (of animals and plants) existing in a wild or uncultivated state, esp after being domestic or cultivated
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Also: ferine. savage; brutal
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derogatory (of a person) tending to be interested in environmental issues and having a rugged, unkempt appearance
noun
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derogatory a person who displays such tendencies and appearance
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slang disgusting
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slang excellent
adjective
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astrology associated with death
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gloomy; funereal
Etymology
Origin of feral1
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin ferālis “bestial, wild,” from Latin fer(a) “wild beast” + -ālis -al 1
Origin of feral2
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin fērālis “of the dead, funerary, fatal”
Explanation
When animal control finds a feral dog, they have to handle it very carefully because the animal is so wild that it's probably afraid of humans and likely to bite. Feral is often used to describe a wild, untamed animal, like the feral cat with its claws and sharp teeth menacingly bared, ready to strike. Qualities that are similar to a wild animal can also be called feral. The child who grew alone up in a cabin in the woods, and who didn't go to school, was called feral when she ran away from the orphanage.
Vocabulary lists containing feral
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
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The Blood of Olympus
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The Marrow Thieves
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
London-based cocktail creator Julian de Feral says he avoids AI because it “seems very counter-intuitive”, with its choices lacking common sense.
From BBC • Aug. 28, 2024
He added, "Feral cats are a different category. As cats are one of the world's worst invasive alien species, biodiversity conservation laws and policies require efforts to remove them from the landscape."
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2023
Feral swine have been reported in at least 35 states, according to the USDA.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2023
“Black people are accustomed to being unseen,” the Senegalese artist Linda Dounia Rebeiz wrote in an introduction to her exhibition “In/Visible,” for Feral File, an NFT marketplace.
From New York Times • Jul. 4, 2023
“I guess I’ll give you another chance,” conceded a breathless Feral.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
