beast

[ beest ]
/ bist /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR beast ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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. Rev. 13:18.

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Origin of beast

1175–1225; Middle English be(e)ste < Old French beste (French bête) < Latin bēstia

synonym study for beast

1. See animal.

OTHER WORDS FROM beast

beast·like, adjective

Words nearby beast

bearish, bearpaw, bearskin, bearwood, beas, beast, beast epic, beast of burden, beast of prey, beastie, beastings
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to beast

pig, monster, creature, barbarian, monstrosity, swine, glutton, fiend, gargoyle, quadruped, varmint, critter, beastie

Example sentences from the Web for beast

British Dictionary definitions for beast

beast
/ (biːst) /

noun

any animal other than man, esp a large wild quadruped
savage nature or characteristicsthe beast in man
a brutal, uncivilized, or filthy person

verb

(tr) military slang, slang, mainly British to punish or torture (someone) in a manner that involves excessive physical exercise

Word Origin for beast

C13: from Old French beste, from Latin bestia, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012