feral
fe·ral
adj \ˈfir-əl, ˈfer-; ˈfe-rəl\Definition of FERAL
1
: of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast <feral teeth> <feral instincts>
2
a : not domesticated or cultivated : wild b : having escaped from domestication and become wild <feral cats>
— feral noun
See Examples of FERAL
- They led a feral existence.
- <animal experts discourage homeowners from trying to adopt feral animals as pets>
Origin of FERAL
Medieval Latin feralis, from Latin fera wild animal, from feminine of ferus wild — more at fierce
First Known Use: 1604
Related to FERAL
Related Words: uncontrolled, undocile, unsubdued, untrained; bestial, brutal, brute; barbarous, uncivilized
Near Antonyms: controlled, docile, familiar, semidomesticated, subdued, submissive; halterbroken, housebroken, trained; civilized, semicivilized, socialized
See Synonym Discussion at brutal
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