feral
C1Formal (when referring to animals), informal/pejorative (when referring to people).
Definition
Meaning
wild, especially after having escaped from captivity or domestication; having reverted to a wild state.
Used metaphorically to describe people, children, or behaviors perceived as savage, uncivilized, or dangerously uncontrolled.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a descent from a state of domestication or cultivation into wildness, distinguishing it from 'wild' which can describe something never tamed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Slightly more common in UK media in metaphorical/extended uses (e.g., 'feral youths').
Connotations
In both varieties, the metaphorical use for people is highly pejorative and often sensationalist.
Frequency
Medium-low frequency in both, slightly higher in UK English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
ADJ + N (feral animal)V + ADJ (become feral)ADV + ADJ (completely feral)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to go feral”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in risk assessment: 'The project's budget has gone completely feral.'
Academic
Used in ecology, biology, and sociology: 'The study tracked the feral pigeon population.'
Everyday
Common when discussing stray pets or in hyperbolic criticism: 'After a week of camping, the kids were feral.'
Technical
Specific term in ecology for domesticated species living wild.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The domestic rabbits had feralised and were destroying the vegetable garden.
American English
- The cats feralized quickly after being abandoned.
adverb
British English
- (Extremely rare) The animal stared feraly from the bushes.
American English
- (Extremely rare) He grinned almost feraly.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cat is not friendly; it is feral.
- Many towns have problems with feral cats living in empty buildings.
- The dog had been abandoned and had become completely feral, surviving on its own for years.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a FERocious ALpaca that escaped from a farm - it's now FERAL.
Conceptual Metaphor
CIVILIZATION IS DOMESTICATION / WILDNESS IS ESCAPE FROM CONTROL.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'дикий' (wild) for animals never domesticated. Feral specifically implies a 'return' to wildness. 'Feral child' is 'ребёнок-маугли', not simply a wild child.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'feral' to mean 'angry' or 'ferocious' without the core idea of reversion to wildness.
- Misspelling as 'ferrel'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'feral' used INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Wild' describes an animal or plant living in its natural state and not domesticated. 'Feral' describes a domesticated animal (or its descendants) that has escaped and lives in the wild.
Yes, but it is highly pejorative and often considered dehumanising. It describes someone perceived as savage, uncivilised, or uncontrolled, e.g., in sensationalist media: 'feral youths'.
It is standard and acceptable in formal writing when used in its biological/ecological sense. Its metaphorical use for people is informal and loaded.
It is an idiom meaning to revert to a wild, uncontrolled, or uncivilised state, either literally (an animal) or figuratively (a person or situation).