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ferally

ferally

1 8.2
In a wild, untamed way like an animal
  • adverb
  • /ˈfɛrəli/
: salvajemente
  • She stared ferally at her opponent, ready to pounce at any moment.

Examples

  • Lydia smiled, her small teeth gleaming ferally in the moonlight.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Martial law is declared in Brooklyn, just after a young and ferally right-wing Arianna Huffington makes a cameo as a television pundit, advocating military takeover.

    Blog text (8)
  • The wolf howled ferally, echoing through the dark forest.

  • The children played ferally in the backyard, climbing trees and chasing each other.

Synonyms

wild
vsferally
38 2.8

In an uncontrolled way

is more about savage or violent intent rather than mere lack of control
savagely
vsferally
  • NSFW
21 6.7

In a very violent and cruel way

is more about untamed, wild behaviour rather than sheer brutality
bestially
vsferally
  • NSFW
9.1

In a violent, cruel way like a wild animal

is more about being untamed and savage than specifically animal-like cruelty

How Wild

savagely
  • NSFW
21 6.7
ferociously
11 5.6
ferally
1 8.2
wildly
57 2.9

Surface Forms

ferally positive

Morphology

ferally = feral (transparent) = feral + ly

The adverb is predictably formed by adding the productive suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'feral', yielding 'in a wild manner'.

Etymology

Ferally comes from feral, which itself comes from the Latin root ferus meaning 'wild' or 'beast'. So to act ferally is to behave like a wild animal — untamed, fierce, and uncontrolled.