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Definitions

hyena

[hahy-ee-nuh] / haɪˈi nə /


NOUN
scavenger
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After the vessel transporting his family from India to Canada sinks, Pi escapes to a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a tiger—and his situation gets more complicated with each passing day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

This is a musical that treasures goofy imperfection, a scene where McInnerny does a funny little tap dance, or the joy in Shannon’s hyena cackle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

While female-dominated hyena societies may not strike some as technically "queer," the same cannot be said of the countless male lions who spend most of their time in all-male groups called coalitions.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2024

In hyena clans, females and their offspring socially dominate all immigrant males, and social status is behaviourally "inherited" by cubs from mothers who gain privileges associated with maternal social status.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2024

After hunting, late at night, the hyena mothers would visit the dens.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall