Acinonyx pardinensis was roughly twice the size of today's cheetahs, weighing around 60–121 kg (132–267 lb),[2][3] though A. pleistocaenicus was much larger.

[4] The morphology of the skull shows some similarities with those of pantherine cats and is not as short and deep as that of the modern cheetah.

Compared to living cheetahs, the femur is more straight and the fibia is more robust and not fused to the tibia.

It probably took larger prey than living cheetahs, with estimated prey masses of 50–100 kilograms (110–220 lb),[2] though the idea that its ecology was similar to a modern cheetah has been contested by some authors, who suggest an ecology more similar to pantherine cats.

[8] The morphology of its carnassial teeth suggest like modern cheetahs that it did not consume bone,[8] and probably left large parts of carcasses to other carnivores.