monstrous

[ mon-struhs ]

adjective

1. frightful or hideous, especially in appearance; extremely ugly.

   Synonyms: atrocious, horrible

2. shocking or revolting; outrageous:

   monstrous cruelty.

   Synonyms: atrocious, horrible

3. extraordinarily great; huge; immense:

   a monstrous building.

4. deviating grotesquely from the natural or normal form or type.
5. having the nature or appearance of a fabulous monster.

adverb

1. extremely; exceedingly; very.

monstrous

/ ˈmɒnstrəs /

adjective

1. abnormal, hideous, or unnatural in size, character, etc
2. (of plants and animals) abnormal in structure
3. outrageous, atrocious, or shocking

   it is monstrous how badly he is treated

4. huge

   a monstrous fire

5. of, relating to, or resembling a monster

Derived Forms

• ˈmonstrousness, noun
• ˈmonstrously, adverb

Other Words From

• monstrous·ly adverb
• monstrous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of monstrous¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word mōnstrōsus. See monster, -ous

Synonym Study

See gigantic.

Example Sentences

He wanted to show me where the city had installed two monstrous fences, ostensibly to protect habitat and keep hikers from veering off the main trail.

From Los Angeles Times

Her canine metamorphosis, rather than being painful and monstrous, is an almost euphoric journey of self-discovery, one that has been off-putting to some viewers and revelatory to others.

From New York Times

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Wednesday that "pressure on the monstrous organisation known as Hamas is growing".

From BBC

Amid the monstrous heaps of twisted metal, pools of congealed oil and walls pockmarked by shrapnel, one incongruous detail catches my eye.

From BBC

In a key scene it is established that once Caitlyn’s politics became monstrous, her personal life would inevitably follow.

From Salon

Related Words

• atrocious
• dreadful
• egregious
• freakish
• frightful
• grotesque
• gruesome
• heinous
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrifying
• inhuman
• intolerable
• obscene
• odious
• outrageous
• preposterous
• terrible
• vicious