Meaning
hyena
- a carnivorous wild mammal of Africa and Asia
- a cruel, ruthless, or cynical person
In a sentence
Abbiamo visto una iena durante il safari.
We saw a hyena during the safari.
Quell'uomo d'affari è una iena spietata con i dipendenti.
That businessman is a ruthless hyena with his employees.
Il verso della iena sembra una risata umana.
The cry of the hyena sounds like a human laugh.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| iena | feminine · singular |
| iene | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Takes the article 'la' / 'l'' (l'iena or la iena, with 'la iena' more common in speech).
- Metaphorically describes someone particularly vicious or mean.