feral
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describes an animal that was once a pet or lived with humans but now lives in the wild.
adj.existing in a wild or untamed state, specifically referring to animals descended from domesticated ancestors.
Simple“The city has a large population of feral cats that live in the park.”
In context“Ecologists are concerned that feral hogs are destroying the native flora and outcompeting local wildlife for resources.”
Antonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The fans went feral when the singer finally walked onto the stage.”
In context“After three days of camping in the rain without a shower, the group looked positively feral.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
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.
Simple“The farmer had to protect his sheep from the ferals living in the woods.”
In context“The management plan involves trapping and neutering ferals to prevent the colony from expanding further into the suburbs.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
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.
Simple“He left his office job to live as a feral in the mountains.”
In context“The local community of ferals lived entirely off the grid, trading handmade goods for the few supplies they could not grow themselves.”
UsagePrimarily found in Australian English.
“The most recent population figures, from 2016, estimated that 7 million feral pigs were loose in the nation then.”
“Lucy Roche, volunteer branch leader for Cat Action Trust 1977 , external , came across the ginger cat, called Ginge, while caring for a feral colony in Garforth, and noticed he was very tame.”
From Latin fera (“wild beast”, noun) + -al or Latin ferus (“wild; savage; cruel”, adjective) + -al. Alternatively, borrowed from Middle French féral or Late Latin ferālis.
From Latin fērālis (“funereal”), from Proto-Italic fēz-ālis, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéh₁s (“god, sacred place”).
Homophone.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.