Meaning

Wild; untamed..

Definitions by Sense

1. Wild; untamed.
2. A domesticated (non-human) animal that has returned to the wild; an animal, particularly a domesticated animal, living independently of humans.
3. (Australia, colloquial) A contemptible young person, a lout, a person who behaves wildly.
4. (Australia, colloquial) A person who has isolated themselves from the outside world; one living an alternative lifestyle.
5. (furry fandom) A furry character in art or literature which has the appearance of a regular animal (typically quadrupedal), that may or may not be able to communicate with humans or "anthros".
6. Deadly, fatal.
7. Of or pertaining to the dead, funereal.
8. Misspelling of ferrule.

Example Sentences

1876 Statistical, Descriptive, And Historical Account Of The North-Western Provinces Of India. Allahabad: North-Western Provinces' Government Press 1876. p XIV, Agra Division The spotted deer, in a truly feral state, has very much the same distribution in Bundelkhand as the sambar, but it is more numerous.

Among the ensemble’s strange, outmoded, “original” instruments — the feral horns, sour violins, wooden flutes, cellos without endpins — she seemed right at home, despite her Broadway provenance.

Although it is not difficult to induce domestic pigeons to nest in boxes fixed to trees, London′s ferals are not yet acclimatized to arboreal holes.

Traffic, abuse, inhumane traps, and accidental poisoning are other hazards ferals must face.[…]In England one gamekeeper claimed to have killed over three hundred ferals, while another brought home pelts to his wife so that she could design rugs from cat skins as a source of secondary income.

You trap ferals, neuter them, and give them their rabies shot. Maybe distemper.

If you′ve ever put a saucer of milk out for a hard-luck kitty, or if you′re spending your lunch hour sharing sandwiches with the ferals near your office, this is the chapter for you.

The intolerance which was directed towards us during the early years has now shifted to ‘the ferals’ who embrace a new version of nonconformist behaviour that even some of us in their parent′s generation — the Aquarian settlers — don′t like. The ferals are the scapegoats for the drug problems here, and are highly visible since many of them have nowhere to live.

A pod of ferals was moving towards the exit, a half-dozen soap-shy, low-tech, bush-dwelling hippies.

Word Forms

• more feral
• most feral
• ferals

Synonyms for feral

Antonyms for feral

Related Words

When Should You Use Feral?

Use feral when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions