1
2
3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word carnal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of carnal are animal, fleshly, and sensual. While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature.

a slave to carnal desires

When can animal be used instead of carnal?

While the synonyms animal and carnal are close in meaning, animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.

led a mindless animal existence

How do fleshly and carnal relate to one another?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal.

a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of carnal?

While in some cases nearly identical to carnal, sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.

fleshpots providing sensual delights

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of carnal Mister Romantic may be an equal-opportunity flirt, but there’s no carnal undercurrent to his desires. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2025 Liñán fills 90 electrifying minutes laying bare the power of fantasy, of physical desire between men, of passions both carnal and emotional. Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025 But Ringel’s script, which manages to skirt cheap laughs throughout, locates unexpected depth when a combination of carnal frustration, bad news and simmering resentments set the central pair against each other in earnest. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025 For all their naughtiness, Wattpad movies are largely tame and regressive, and Through My Window is no exception, so its carnal openness provides a slight counterpoint to its sexist tone. Josh Bell, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carnal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnal
Adjective
  • Make mundane work addictive by reframing it as a game with levels and challenges.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • What could have gone down as a mundane chapter of March Madness became anything but for Terps fans after Willard picked up his megaphone the day before his team’s game and declared that his boss, athletic director, Damon Evans, was likely SMU-bound.
    Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Addressing both the mental and physical parts of grief is critical for healing.
    Kathleen Ferraro, SELF, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Doulas, conversely, offer non-medical emotional and physical support during labor, and afterward, during the postpartum.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Officially launched at the end of the year, the collection brings Louboutin’s signature design codes to life in eyewear form—think bold architectural lines, sensual curves, and unmistakable touches of red.
    Mecca Pryor, Essence, 14 Apr. 2025
  • The French-Tunisian designer was already making waves in Paris; now he was poised to seduce America with his inimitable combination of technical mastery and sensual provocation.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • There is a limit, which could be discussed as a temporal one.
    News Desk, Artforum, 10 Apr. 2025
  • When the master of timing departed our temporal world for a large and silent india-ink panel nine days shy of his 96th birthday, the cartoonist left behind an enormous body of work that still dances on the page.
    Art Spiegelman, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Mosser’s office determined that none of the officers should be charged with using deadly force given the reasonable belief that the force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or others.
    Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Kelp captures carbon up to 20 times more than terrestrial forests.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
  • And most terrestrial options offer higher speeds than Starlink.
    Jeremy Bogaisky, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • One study of about 200 Korean scientists found that animal researchers had significantly higher anxiety scores than non-animal researchers.
    Celia Ford, Vox, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Ramping up surveillance Experts say the U.S. needs to boost its surveillance and detection systems now that there are more animal and human cases of D1.1.
    Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • But no matter how twisted her perception of the world becomes, her earthly desire to get her daughter back and clear her name grounds her just enough to keep pushing forward.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 4 Apr. 2025
  • This is the most believably lusty delivery by John of lyrics about Taupin’s earthly urges.
    Shana Naomi Krochmal, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnal. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on carnal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!