beast

American  

[beest] / bist /

noun

• beasts
  plural

1. any nonhuman animal, especially a large, four-footed mammal.

2. the crude animal nature common to humans and the lower animals.

   Hunger brought out the beast in him.

3. a cruel, coarse, filthy, or otherwise beastlike person.

   Synonyms:

   barbarian, monster, ogre, savage, brute, pig, swine, cad

4. a live creature, as distinguished from a plant.

   What manner of beast is this?

5. the beast, the Antichrist.

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beast British  

/ biːst /

noun

1. any animal other than man, esp a large wild quadruped

2. savage nature or characteristics

   the beast in man

3. a brutal, uncivilized, or filthy person

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verb

1. slang:military (tr) to punish or torture (someone) in a manner that involves excessive physical exercise

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.

Synonym Usage

See animal.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• beastlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beasts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of beast

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English be(e)ste, from Old French beste ( French bête ), from Latin bēstia

Explanation

A beast is an animal — and usually not a gentle or attractive one. You can also call a person a beast when they're behaving in a crude, savage, or horrible way. There are many types of beast in the world: dogs, cats, horses, monkeys, birds, and fish are all beasts. Even tiny critters like bugs are beasts. A beast is basically any living thing, except for plants, because plants can't intentionally move. People can be called beasts too when they behave in a beastly way. A criminal is likely to be called a beast. So is a rude person. Anyone acting in an uncivilized or cruel way is being a beast.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beast beasts

Whether the man or the beast is more isolated and miserable may be debated, but the gorilla, we assume, hasn’t had to face the harsh truth of his insignificance in the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

And so, on a late morning in late August, I buzzed the seventh floor and rode the elevator straight into the belly of the beast.

From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026

"AI is here. We unleashed the beast," said Maliyka Muhammad, a 46-year-old analyst for New York State, who thinks "a consortium of people" would be best to regulate it.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

The scaly beast looked curious as it walked atop the reams of vinyl at Manak’s bar, on the ground floor of Stones Throw’s offices, which take up half a block on Figueroa Avenue.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

The dogs were barking, straining at their leashes in a frenzy to get at the beast.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

He has won every election by a landslide, slayed the dragons, corraled the wild beasts and brought peace, tranquility and a great economy to his kingdom.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Few places see more activity than the turquoise shores of Lake Tahoe, where homeowners are spending thousands to ward off the pantry-raiding, toothpaste-sniffing beasts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

The bears "are in the wrong place. They are wild beasts; they are not pets for us to be able to say that we live together," the 53-year-old graphic designer said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Instead of a budget rampaging out of control, it’s the beasts themselves, particularly Irene, a stunning creation that resembles a glop of marmalade with eyeballs bubbling up to the surface.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Out of the door bounded a huge black dog exactly like the beasts that had attacked Nhamo on her first night in Zimbabwe!

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• brute
• cad
• ogre
• ogress