The European polecat is sometimes called a skunk because it emits a skunk-like odor when threatened or during courtship.
Source: tatoeba (5372641)
Polecat
/ˈpoʊlˌkæt/
Synonyms for "polecat" (78 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: mustela putorius, animal, antelope, ape, armadillo.
- Sentence evidence is available for polecat, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "polecat".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "polecat"
Keep "polecat" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "polecat" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "polecat", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "polecat" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
5 entriesEuropean polecatpolecat furpolecat odorscent glandwild polecat
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
13 translations across 12 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- اِبْن عُرْس مُنْتِن noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
- فَأْر الْخَيْل noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Bashkir
1 entries- көҙән noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Finnish
1 entries- kärppä noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Georgian
1 entries- ქრცვინი noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
German
1 entries- Iltis noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Hebrew
1 entries- סַמּוּר noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Polish
1 entries- tchórz noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Romanian
1 entries- dihor noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- feocallan noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Spanish
1 entries- turón noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Ukrainian
1 entries- тхір noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Welsh
1 entries- ffwlbart noun (weasel of the genus Mustela)
Sample sentences
6 total sentences available.
I saw a polecat.
Source: tatoeba (13058787)
For a long time the dormouse and polecat had seemed to him overfeeble enemies for his restless valour, even as the granary floor seemed to afford too narrow a field. Every day he read the papers of the previous day in the servants' hall of the houses he visited, and it appeared to him that this war in America, which was hailed as the awakening of the spirit of liberty and justice in the New World, ought to produce a revolution in France.
Source: wiktionary
By the little garden pergola open to the winds some fluttered peacocks were blotted nervelessly amid the dripping trees, their heads sunk back beneath their wings: while in the pergola itself, like a fallen storm-cloud, lolled a negress, her levelled, polecat eyes semi-veiled by the nebulous alchemy of the rainbow.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 6 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "polecat"?
Closest matches include mustela putorius, animal, antelope, ape, armadillo.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "polecat"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.