beast
Americannoun
-
any nonhuman animal, especially a large, four-footed mammal.
-
the crude animal nature common to humans and the lower animals.
Hunger brought out the beast in him.
-
a cruel, coarse, filthy, or otherwise beastlike person.
-
a live creature, as distinguished from a plant.
What manner of beast is this?
-
the beast, the Antichrist.
noun
-
any animal other than man, esp a large wild quadruped
-
savage nature or characteristics
the beast in man
-
a brutal, uncivilized, or filthy person
verb
Usage
What does beast mean? The word beast refers to an animal, especially a big, four-legged mammal. This sense of the word is used in a neutral way to refer to certain members of the animal kingdom, often to distinguish large beasts from smaller creatures, such as birds. This is how the word is used in the phrase beast of burden, referring to an animal that pulls heavy equipment, such as an ox. Similarly, a mammal that hunts other animals can be called a beast of prey. The word creature is often used in a similar way, but beast typically implies a big animal, whereas creature can refer to even very small ones. Another common meaning of the word beast refers to fictional creatures, especially ones that are considered monsters, as in I had a dream I was being chased by a terrible beast. This is how the word is used in the title of the story Beauty and the Beast. Creature can also be used as a synonym for this sense of the word, but it’s more neutral—a fictional being referred to as a creature may be friendly. By contrast, using the word beast often implies that it is monstrous or dangerous in some way—or is at least thought to be. Beast is sometimes used in a figurative way to refer to a cruel and uncivilized nature of a person, as in Desperation brings out the beast in some people. Another figurative use of the word refers to a situation that is going to create trouble or be difficult to deal with, as in The comprehensive final exam is going to be a beast. The word beast is sometimes used to refer to humans in both very negative and very positive ways. Calling a person a beast in a negative way likens them to a monster and implies that they behave in a crude, brutish, or animalistic way. This use of beast can be especially offensive, especially due to likening a person to an animal. The adjective beastly means monstrous, nasty, vile, or cruel. A more recent slang sense of beast is completely positive. Calling someone a beast in this way means they are extremely strong, skilled, or dominant in some activity, such as a sport, as in Tara is a beast on the volleyball court. This sense of the word is used in the slang term beast mode, which refers to an increased (and often temporary) state of exceptionally high performance. Example: I love monster movies—the bigger and more grotesque the beast, the better.
Related Words
See animal.
Other Word Forms
- beastlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of beast
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English be(e)ste, from Old French beste ( French bête ), from Latin bēstia
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Everest, first scaled in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was a far more formidable and dangerous beast.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
"I was well versed with dynamic crowds but Oasis was a completely different beast," Allen recalls.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
Stagflation set in, and the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations all flailed helplessly at the beast.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
Oftentimes their input is biased in some way by those that feed the AI beast.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The beast lumbered toward us, panting and snarling, fiery sparks seething from its many mouths.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
