The core feral meaning is wild after having been domestic: a feral animal is one from a tame species, such as a cat, pig or horse, that lives without human care, or whose ancestors escaped or were abandoned. Feral cats in a city alley are the classic example.
Applied to people, feral describes behaviour that seems wild, fierce or out of control. In casual slang, someone who "goes feral" gets wildly excited or loses all restraint, often in a funny way.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Gone wild from a domestic state; untamed, fiercePart of speech
Adjective (rarely a noun in slang: "a feral")Pronunciation
FEER-uhl or FERR-uhl; both are standardOrigin
Latin fera, wild animal, from ferus, wild; in English from about 1600Related words
fierce, ferocious (same root)Opposite
tame, domesticatedRegister
Neutral in biology; informal or even insulting for people
Feral meaning, sense by sense
- Of animals: belonging to a domesticated species but living in the wild, without human control. Feral pigeons, feral goats, feral camels in parts of Australia and feral hogs in the southern US all descend from tame animals.
- Of plants: a crop or garden plant that has escaped and now grows wild.
- Of people or behaviour: wild, savage or unrestrained, like an untamed animal. "A feral scream," "a feral grin."
- Slang: wildly excited, unhinged or messy. "The kids went feral after the birthday cake." In Australian and British slang, calling a person "a feral" can be a rude way of saying they are rough or unkempt.
Feral, stray or wild?
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stray | a pet or once-owned animal that is lost or abandoned and still used to people | a friendly dog that follows you home |
| feral | a domestic-species animal born or living without human contact, wary of people | a colony of cats living under a warehouse |
| wild | a species that was never domesticated | a fox, a tiger, a sparrow |
To define feral against its neighbours, think about history with humans. A stray kitten raised outdoors with no human contact can grow into a feral cat. A tiger is never feral, because tigers were never tame to begin with.
Feral in real sentences
- Volunteers trap feral cats, have them neutered and return them to the same street.
- Feral pigs dug up half the farmer's potato field overnight.
- After a week of camping without showers, we all looked a bit feral.
- The crowd went feral when the home team scored in the final minute.
- Abandoned for years, the old orchard had turned into a feral tangle of trees and vines.
Why feral animals matter to people
Feral animals can cause real problems. Feral cats hunt birds and small mammals, feral pigs damage crops and spread disease, and feral goats or camels can strip vegetation. In some regions they are a serious threat to biodiversity, which is why governments and charities run control or sterilisation programmes. Others argue for humane approaches and point out that the animals are there because of people in the first place.
City pigeons are another everyday example. They descend from domesticated rock doves, which makes them feral rather than truly wild, a good case of how domestic animals adapt to urban life.
The phrase feral child
A feral child is a child who has grown up with very little human contact, through neglect, isolation or abandonment, and so has not learned language or normal social behaviour. Such cases are rare and distressing, and researchers study them carefully. In everyday speech, though, parents may jokingly call their noisy, muddy kids "feral" with no serious meaning at all. Context makes the difference.
Origin and family
Feral comes from French and ultimately Latin fera, a wild animal, as in fera bestia, from ferus, wild. It appeared in English around 1600 meaning simply wild or untamed. The modern feral definition grew from there: since the nineteenth century its main use has been for animals that escaped domestication. Fierce and ferocious share the same ancient root. For more vivid adjectives, explore our everyday vocabulary words or the gut-level word visceral.
Frequently asked questions
What is a feral cat?
A feral cat is a domestic cat that lives outdoors with little or no human contact and is usually afraid of people. Many were born outside to strays or other feral cats.
Is feral an insult?
It can be. Describing an animal as feral is neutral. Calling a person feral can be playful among friends but rude or insulting in other settings, especially as a noun.
How do you pronounce feral?
Both FEER-uhl (starting like fear) and FERR-uhl (like the start of ferry) are correct. Usage varies by region.
What does going feral mean?
It is informal slang for losing control or becoming wildly excited, messy or rowdy. Fans can go feral at a concert, and children can go feral on a sugar rush.
Can a feral animal be tamed?
Young feral animals can often be socialised with patient handling. Adult feral animals usually stay wary of people for life, although some slowly learn to accept a caregiver.
Is a feral animal the same as a wild animal?
No. A wild animal belongs to a species that was never domesticated. A feral animal belongs to a domestic species but lives like a wild one.