reptilian

1 of 2

adjective

rep·​til·​ian rep-ˈti-lē-ən How to pronounce reptilian (audio)
-ˈtil-yən
Synonyms of reptiliannext
1
: resembling or having the characteristics of the reptiles
2
: of or relating to the reptiles
3
: cold-bloodedly treacherous
… a reptilian villain!—Theodore Dreiser

reptilian

2 of 2

noun

: reptile sense 2

Examples of reptilian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Porkchop earned her 15 minutes of reptilian fame by becoming the first turtle to swim in the tank. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026 Her shoes put a twist on the enduring style with a metallic finish and a subtle reptilian pattern, merging several footwear trends in one. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 28 June 2026
Noun
Elves, insectoids, reptilians, aliens, gods, and clowns are all common. — Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025 The CrystaLynx Dragons pull apart to mix and match and create new types of reptilians. — Katrina Cossey, Parents, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reptilian

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reptilian was in 1833

Rhymes for reptilian

See All Rhymes for reptilian

Browse Nearby Words

Reptilia
reptilian
reptilian age
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reptilian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reptilian. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

reptilian

adjective
rep·​til·​ian
rep-ˈtil-ē-ən
: of, relating to, or resembling reptiles

More from Merriam-Webster on reptilian

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reptilian

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All