Animal Adjectives – Complete List

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Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

When you hear the word canine, you always think of a dog, right? But did you know there are other adjectives with Latin roots based on animals? I put together this huge list of adjectives for animals that I think would be helpful for writers. Find out how to use words like aquiline, bovine, simian, and murine in your sentences.

What Are Animal Adjectives?

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So, the word “canine” is used to describe dogs or creatures showing doglike behavior, and feline is for cats or anything that has cat-like behavior. But more adjectives end in -ian and -ine to describe specific animals. However, it’s important to note that these words may also be used as nouns.

Here are a couple of examples to show you what I mean.

  • I am walking my canine friend.
  • Canines make the best pets.
  • Nothing is better than canine loyalty.

Animal Adjectives List

Adjective Animal
accipitrinehawk
anserinegoose
aquilineeagle
asinineass
avinebird
bovinecow
bubalinebuffalo
camelinecamel
cancrinecrab
caninedog
caprinegoat
cervinedeer
corvinecrow, raven
crocodilinecrocodile
elephantineelephant
equinehorse
falconinefalcon
felinecat
ferineany wild animal
hippopotaminehippopotamus
hircinegoat
hirundineswallow
hystricineporcupine
lacertinelizard
larinegull
leoninelion
leporinehare
lumbricineearthworm
lupinewolf
murinemouse
myrmecophagineAnteater
aleclaphine, bubaline, antilopineantelope
simianape
tolypeutinearmadillo
ovinesheep
pardineleopard, panther
passerinesparrow
pavoninepeacock
picinewoodpecker
piscinefish
porcinepig
pteropinebat
raninefrog
scolopendrinecentipede
serpentineserpent
soricineshrew
struthionineostrich
suillineswine
taurinebull
tigrinetiger
ursinebear
vespinewasp
viperineviper
vitulinecalf
viverrinemongoose
vulpinefox
vulturinevulture
zebrinezebra
zibelinesable
anguinesnake
arachnoidspider
batrachiantoad
bovinebison
cervineelk
cetaceanwhale
cygnineswan
delphinedolphin
dipterousfly
eusuchianalligator
formicant
gallinechicken
gastropodiansnail
vermianworm
murinerat
mustelinebadger
ostracineoyster
otarineseal
pieridinebutterfly
scyphozoanjellyfish
simianmonkey
testudinetortoise
vespineHornet
percesocinebarracuda
apiarianbee
rupicaprinechamois
viverrinecivet
corallinecoral
elapinecobra
didinedodo
myoxinedormouse
draconinedragon
cervineelk
piscinefish
mustelineferret
pulicineflea
pteropineflying fox
vulpinefox
gazellinegazelle
cricetinegerbil
cricetinehamster
hyeninehyena
macropidinekangaroo
hirudineleech
microtinelemming
lemurinelemur
patellinelimpet
homarinelobster
pediculinelouse
manatinemanatee
mustelinemarten
mustelinemink
acarinemite
talpinemole
arctianmoth
didelphineopossum
orygineoryx
lutrineotter
pantherinepanther
mustelinepolecat
pythoninepython
crotalinerattlesnake
ceratorhinerhinoceros
glirinerodent
capreolinaeroebuck
zibelinesable
salamandrinesalamander
limacineslug
hippocampinesea horse
atherinesmelt
sciurinesquirrel
mustelinestoat
termitinetermite
acarinetick
microtinevole
mustelineweasel
pongineorangutan
phascolomianwombat
icterineblackbird
turdinebluebird
pyrrhulinebullfinch
emberizinebunting
buteonine, cathartinebuzzard
pyrrhuloxinecardinal
rangiferinereindeer
phalacrocoracinecormorant
phocaenineporpoise
varaninemonitor lizard
alectorinecrane
cuculinecuckoo
columbinedove
charadrine, scolopacinewoodcock
vulturinevulture
meleagrineturkey
cypselineswift
cygnineswan
ciconinestork
oscinesongbird
charadrinesnipe
coturnixquail
pullastrinepigeon
charadrineplover
alectorine, phasianinepheasant
perdicinepartridge
psittacineparrot
struthiousostrich
strutiousostrich
philomeliannightingale
miminemockingbird
icterinemeadowlark
hirundinemartin
anatinemallard
garrulinemagpie
psittacinemacaw
milvinekite
halcyoninekingfisher
falconinekestrel
garrulinejay
trochilinehummingbird
larinegull
fringillinefinch
accipitrinefalcon

What Is the Animal Adjective for Cats or Kittens?

The animal adjective of cat is feline.

  • Feline pregnancy can last nine weeks. 
  • All cat lovers seem to possess a feline personality.

Other words you can use to describe cats are:

  • Bright-eyed
  • Family-friendly
  • Mellow

What Is the Animal Adjective for Lion?

The animal adjective for a lion is leonine.

  • Leonine cubs are reared together.
  • Those paw prints are definitely leonine.

Other adjectives you can use here are:

  • Angry
  • Ferocious
  • Majestic

What Is the Animal Adjective of Cow?

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The animal adjective of cow is bovine. Here’s an example of it in a sentence.

  • Bovine milk contains many nutrients for the growth and development of the calf.
  • Farm animal friends can be bovine, porcine, and galline.

Other adjectives associated with cows include:

  • Holy
  • Milked
  • Herbivorous

What Is the Animal Adjective for Chicken?

The correct animal adjective for chicken is galline.

  • Galline eggs may be produced for three to four years.

A few other adjectives associated with chickens are:

  • Frightened
  • Domestic
  • Loud

What Is the Adjective for Humans?

The adjective version of human, classified under mammal, is hominine.

  • The skeletal pattern is hominine.
  • Intentional foolish behavior is evident in hominine traits.
  • There’s a sense of mystery around the hominine remains that were found.

Animal Adjectives Ending in “-ine”

Just remember that most animal adjectives end in the letters -ine. It’s one of the common adjective endings alongside -ic, -able, -ible, -al, -ive, -less, and -ous. Here, I made a list of animal adjectives ending in -ine.

AdjectiveAnimal
anserinegoose
aquilineeagle
asinineass
avine, avian, oscine, passerine, penduline, volucrinebird
bovinecow
isodinebandicoot
bubalinebuffalo
camelinecamel
cancrinecrab
caninedog
caprinegoat
corvinedeer
corvinecrow, raven
crocodilinecrocodile
elephantineelephant
equinehorse
falconinefalcon
felinecat
ferineany wild animal
hippopotaminehippopotamus
hircinegoat
hirundineswallow
hystricineporcupine
lacertinelizard
larinegull
leoninelion
leporinehare
lumbricineearthworm
lupinewolf
murinemouse
ovinesheep
pardineleopard, panther
passerinesparrow
pavoninepeacock
picinewoodpecker
piscinefish
porcinepig
pteropinebat
raninefrog
scolopendrinecentipede
serpentineserpent
soricineshrew
struthionineostrich
suillineswine
taurinebull
tigrinetiger
ursinebear
vespinewasp
viperineviper
vitulinecalf
viverrinemongoose
vulpinefox
vulturinevulture
zebrinezebra
zibelinesable
anguinesnake

Note that some adjectives for animals also end in -ian, such as batrachian for toad and gastropodian for snail, which is kind of an obscure term. Although, it would probably be way easier to just say snail.

More Animal Adjectives

Aside from the usual adjectives, here are some other cool words you can use to describe animals.

TransgenicAmphibiousAndrogynous
AnthropoidAquaticArboreal
ArticulateAsexualCaged
CaptiveCold-bloodedDiurnal
DomesticWildDrowny
ExtinctFeatheredFeral
FluffyJuvenileNocturnal
FurredLesserOmnivorous
GiantLop-earedParasitic
GregariousMan-eatingPetrified
HornedMangyPigmy
PetMigratoryPoisonous
IndigenousNativePolymorphous
PredatoryRabidSavage
PurebredRogueScaly
SpinelessTameTemperate
TerritorialTolerantWebbed
AboriginalBeardedexotic
TerrestrialHelplessAsocial
Well-trainedAlivegigantic
OddLoathsomeStray
NocturnalMagnificentIndependent
HeraldicMindlessComplex
DistantIrrationalVertebrate
InvertebrateTimidGraceful
UnisexualMarsupialUnrestrained
SacrificialDocialeGood-natured
GentleTribalAerial
SymbolicHarmfulRabid
Well-fedUnfamiliarEastern
FatLeggySingle-cell
SpiritlessLawlessUseful
AncientRapaciousInsensitive

Summarizing Animal Adjectives

Whether you’re visiting a zoo or an aquarium, or just a writer like me looking to expand your written vocabulary, these animal adjectives can come in handy. Grab this opportunity to learn every word and practice using them in sentences.

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