In standard English, feral is an adjective that refers to something (usually an animal that has been previously domesticated) existing in a wild state. In Australian slang, however, the adjective has another meaning:

“(especially of a person) wild, uncontrolled; unconventional;
outside the conventional bounds of society; dirty, scruffy“
Australian National University (A.N.U.)

The A.N.U. explains that feral is also used as noun to mean:

“a person living outside the conventional bounds of society;
a wild or uncontrolled person”

The Australian slang meaning of feral was first recorded in the 1980s and is still in regular use to this day.

While I would never use feral to describe a person, I have used it to describe something that I considered to be quite gross. For example: “I couldn’t eat lunch today. It was feral.”

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Glossary

domesticated – animals or plants that have been brought under human control

wild – used to refer to plants or animals that live or grow independently of people

unconventional – different from what is usual or from the way most people do things

scruffy – untidy and looking a little dirty

gross [informal] – extremely unpleasant