feral

[feer-uh l, fer-]

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adjective

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.

of or characteristic of wild animals; ferocious; brutal.

Origin of feral

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin, Late Latin ferālis bestial, wild, equivalent to Latin fer(a) wild beast + -ālis -al¹

feral

[feer-uh l, fer-]

adjective

causing death; fatal.

funereal; gloomy.

Origin of feral

First recorded in 1615–25, feral is from the Latin word fērālis of the dead, funerary, fatal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for feral

ferocious, animal, brutal, fierce, raging, savage, uncultivated, wild, undomesticated, tameless

Examples from the Web for feral

Contemporary Examples of feral

Rather, she shows us: that spandex clad ass twerking in the jungle, surrounded by a feral pack of similarly well fed asses?
Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ Is Too Much Booty for One Man to Handle
Amy Zimmerman
August 20, 2014
The “Aduba double-take,” a phenomenon that fans of the show often fall victim to, is truly a testament to her feral performance.
‘Orange Is the New Black’ Star Uzo Aduba on Her Journey From Track Phenom to Crazy Eyes
Marlow Stern
June 11, 2014
But then, with their contorted physiques and feral grimaces they speak directly to the Basquiats.
The Art World’s New Gang War
Anthony Haden-Guest
May 1, 2014
Devastated, she climbed with feral intensity, hoping the baby might spontaneously abort.
Breaking Mount Everest’s Glass Ceiling
Amanda Padoan, Peter Zuckerman
March 30, 2014
As Jordan Belfort, a charismatic monster of a stockbroker, DiCaprio is a feral beast; the id incarnate.
Why Leonardo DiCaprio, Who Wows in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ Deserves to (Finally) Win An Oscar
Marlow Stern
February 17, 2014

Historical Examples of feral

The instinct for the feral spring could no longer be denied.
Victory
Joseph Conrad
What conclusions do you derive from the study of the cases of feral men?
Introduction to the Science of Sociology
Robert E. Park
It represents the genius of instinct, swift, feral, and unethical.
The London Mercury, Vol. I, Nos. 1-6, November 1919 to April 1920
Various
These plants are common in both cultivated and feral states.
Natural History of the Prairie Vole (Mammalian Genus Microtus)
E. W. Jameson
He becomes an outlaw, to be dealt with as any other feral creature.
Aphorisms and Reflections from the Works of T. H. Huxley
T. H. Huxley

British Dictionary definitions for feral

feral

adjective

Also: ferine (of animals and plants) existing in a wild or uncultivated state, esp after being domestic or cultivated

Also: ferine savage; brutal

Australian derogatory, slang (of a person) tending to be interested in environmental issues and having a rugged, unkempt appearance

noun

Australian derogatory, slang a person who displays such tendencies and appearance

Australian slang disgusting

Australian slang excellent

Word Origin for feral

C17: from Medieval Latin ferālis, from Latin fera a wild beast, from ferus savage

feral

adjective archaic

astrology associated with death

gloomy; funereal

Word Origin for feral

C17: from Latin fērālis relating to corpses; perhaps related to ferre to carry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for feral

adj.

c.1600, from Middle French feral "wild," from Latin fera, in phrase fera bestia "wild animal," from ferus "wild" (see fierce).

feral in Science

feral

[fîr′əl, fĕr′-]

Existing in a wild or untamed state, either naturally or having returned to such a state from domestication.