feral

C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal

adj. used to describe a person behaving in a wild, messy, or uncontrolled way.

adj. denoting human behaviour that is uninhibited, chaotic, or rejecting of social norms. Often used to describe intense excitement or a lack of grooming.

“The fans went feral when the singer finally walked onto the stage.”

“After three days of camping in the rain without a shower, the group looked positively feral.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical

n. an animal that has escaped from a home or farm and now lives in the wild.

n. a domesticated animal that has returned to the wild and lives independently of humans.

“The farmer had to protect his sheep from the ferals living in the woods.”

“The management plan involves trapping and neutering ferals to prevent the colony from expanding further into the suburbs.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Dialect · Informal

n. a person who lives away from modern society, often in the woods or bush.

n. a person who has isolated themselves from mainstream society, typically to live an alternative or subsistence lifestyle.

“He left his office job to live as a feral in the mountains.”

“The local community of ferals lived entirely off the grid, trading handmade goods for the few supplies they could not grow themselves.”