monster

American  

[mon-ster] / ˈmɒn stər /

noun

• monsters
  plural

1. a nonhuman creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people.

2. any creature grotesquely deviating from the normal shape, behavior, or character.

3. a person who provokes or elicits horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc.

   Synonyms:

   miscreant, devil, demon, brute, fiend

4. any animal or thing huge in size.

5. a legendary animal combining features of animal and human form or having the forms of various animals in combination, as a centaur, griffin, or sphinx.

6. Biology.

   1. an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure, as from marked malformation or the absence of certain parts or organs.

   2. a grossly anomalous fetus or infant, especially one that is not viable.

7. anything unnatural or monstrous.

---

adjective

1. huge; enormous; monstrous.

   a monster tree.

monster British  

/ ˈmɒnstə /

noun

1. an imaginary beast, such as a centaur, usually made up of various animal or human parts

2. a person, animal, or plant with a marked structural deformity

3. a cruel, wicked, or inhuman person

4. 1. a very large person, animal, or thing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a monster cake

---

verb

1. informal to criticize (a person or group) severely

2. sport to use intimidating tactics against (an opponent)

monster Idioms  

1. see green-eyed monster.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• monsterlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• monsters
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of monster

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English monstre, from Latin mōnstrum “portent, unnatural event, monster,” from mon(ēre) “to warn” + -strum, noun suffix

---

Explanation

Monsters are imaginary scary creatures that lurk in dark places and horror movies. If it's got 3 heads, shark teeth and lives under your bed, then it's probably a monster. Monsters are big. Monsters are hairy. And monsters are certainly scary. Think of the Abominable Snow Man, that Loch Ness creature, or even Shrek — even though he's technically an ogre. This word isn't only for the imaginary, though: you could call anything freakish, frightening, or particularly evil a monster, like a cruel murderer or even a really big, violent storm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

monster monsters

The second is in Ohio, where Nvidia has provided a $105 billion backstop for the monster data center being built for OpenAI by SoftBank’s SB Energy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

The image of Frankenstein’s monster, for some reason, sticks in my mind.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

The masked monster is transformed into a uber Jason with a new metallic body and mask.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

"He has created a monster he either can't or won't control," was how one Green figure put it to me - this person one among many left furious at what has happened.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Both now understood that fame was a two-faced monster.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

The fictional characters of the Maasverse return this week with “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” the sixth book in the blockbuster series that has unspooled labyrinthine tales of pointy-eared faeries and bloodthirsty monsters since 2015.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

With the world full of different real-life monsters, Childs sees longevity in the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Creative director Matt Searcy tells Newsbeat the sci-fi shooter is a "mix of war story with comic book-y monsters that come out of the ground".

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister who has denounced Netanyahu for not preventing the attack, joined mourners at Nova to remember the attack by the "monsters" three years ago.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

He returned to the beings of land, eager to begin learning the ways of the water monsters.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• behemoth
• freak
• giant
• whale

---