rep·tile
ˈrep-ˌtī(-ə)l 
-tᵊl
1
: an animal that crawls or moves on its belly (such as a snake) or on small short legs (such as a lizard)
2
: any of a class (Reptilia) of cold-blooded, air-breathing, usually egg-laying vertebrates that include the alligators and crocodiles, lizards, snakes, turtles, and extinct related forms (such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs) and that have a body typically covered with scales or bony plates and a bony skeleton with a single occipital condyle, a distinct quadrate bone usually immovably articulated with the skull, and ribs attached to the sternum
3
: a groveling or despised person
Synonyms
Noun
- bastard
- beast
- bleeder [British]
- blighter [chiefly British]
- boor
- bounder
- bugger
- buzzard
- cad
- chuff
- churl
- clown
- creep
- cretin
- crud [slang]
- crumb [slang]
- cur
- dirtbag [slang]
- dog
- fink
- heel
- hound
- jerk
- joker
- louse
- lout
- pill
- rat
- rat fink
- rotter
- schmuck [slang]
- scum
- scumbag [slang]
- scuzzball [slang]
- skunk
- sleaze
- sleazebag [slang]
- sleazeball [slang]
- slime
- slimeball [slang]
- slob
- snake
- so-and-so
- sod [chiefly British]
- stinkard
- stinker
- swine
- toad
- varmint
- vermin
Examples of reptile in a Sentence
Noun
He called the governor's top aide a reptile.
the actor plays a total reptile who's somehow still a hit with the ladies
Recent Examples on the Web
Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Authorities believe the reptile that killed the teenager was nearly four yards long.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reptile 
Noun
At a local elementary school the reptile took up residence and claimed the area in one parking spot.
—Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Authorities believe the reptile that killed the teenager was nearly four yards long.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 20 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reptile
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reptile.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near reptile
Cite this Entry
“Reptile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reptile. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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