Animalish

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having qualities or characteristics that resemble those of non-human creatures, especially in behavior or appearance
2. Having traits or attributes that are reminiscent of creatures from the animal kingdom, particularly regarding their behavior or physical features
3. Exhibiting characteristics akin to those of non-human organisms, especially in terms of actions or looks

Etymology: "Animalish" is a plain formation: the noun "animal," from Latin "animal" (a living creature, from "anima," breath or soul), combined with the English suffix "-ish," which means "having the qualities of" or "somewhat like." Attaching "-ish" to a noun gives an adjective for something resembling that noun, as in "childish" or "bookish." The word is a doublet of "animalesque," meaning the two come from the same underlying source but were built separately in English, one with the native suffix "-ish" and the other with the borrowed French-derived suffix "-esque." Both express the same idea of being like an animal, and the pairing shows how English often had two ways of forming the same kind of adjective.

Synonyms: beastly, bestial, brutish

Antonyms: humane, civilized