beastly

American  

[beest-lee] / ˈbist li /

adjective

beastlier, beastliest

1. of or like a beast; bestial.

2. Informal. nasty; unpleasant; disagreeable.

   Synonyms:

   disgusting, mean, foul, vile, hateful, abominable

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adverb

1. Chiefly British Informal. very; exceedingly.

   It's beastly cold out.

2. British Informal. disagreeably; outrageously.

   beastly rude.

beastly British  

/ ˈbiːstlɪ /

adjective

1. informal unpleasant; disagreeable; nasty

   beastly weather

2. obsolete of or like a beast; bestial

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adverb

1. informal (intensifier)

   the weather is so beastly hot

Usage

What does beastly mean? Beastly is used to describe a person or behavior that’s nasty, vile, or cruel. The word beast sometimes simply means a large animal, but it’s also often used to refer to a kind of monster. This sense of the word is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a person in a way that likens them to a monster and implies that they behave in a crude, brutish, or animalistic way. This is often what’s implied by the word beastly. Beastly can also mean unpleasant or disagreeable, as in beastly weather. In British English, beastly is sometimes used as an informal intensifier to mean very, extremely, or outrageously, as in It’s beastly cold out there or That was a beastly rude thing to do. In this case, beastly is used as an adverb, rather than an adjective. Example: We condemn this beastly attack and the terrorists who perpetrated it.

Other Word Forms

• beastliness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of beastly

1175–1225; Middle English beasteliche, later be ( e ) stly. See beast, -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beastly beastlier beastliest

When Howl loses himself to a beastly form after attacking opposing forces in the war into which he’s drawn, it’s an allegory about how armed conflict robs us of our humanity.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

It’s the dog days of summer, with beastly heat, no proper holidays, and an abysmal history.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

"I've sometimes been accused of degrading mankind, or insulting human dignity, of making man beastly," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

It’s a beastly undertaking, even though the Olympic course is a scaled-down, spectator-friendly version of much more grueling skimo courses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2026

I shouldn’t have been so beastly to her.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

As a zombie, his utterances make him seem beastlier than ever to the other humans he encounters.

From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2026

As the wolf is to the wildcat—the lobos defeated Davidson’s felines in the second round—the tiger is to the wolf: bigger and beastlier.

From Slate ● Mar. 23, 2012

“You make me feel such a beastly cad—the son of a beastlier cad—” She turned and laid her hand upon his lips, shaking her head at him reprovingly.

From The Triumph of Jill by F.E. Mills Young

He calls it Reason—thence his power's increased To be far beastlier than any beast.

From The History of Dartmouth College by Baxter Perry Smith

"It would be beastlier still not have enough to eat," was the thought in Virgie's heart.

From The Daughter Pays by Mrs. Baillie Reynolds

The TLS editor, Stig Abell, protested that exposure had been achieved in the beastliest sort of way, involving money, as opposed to via the more agreeable, practical criticism.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 8, 2016

And most of all, they had Marshawn Lynch, the beastliest runner in the game.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2015

And then there’s the mobster Isaac, who speaks in his refined accent about the beauty of the opera but may be the beastliest beast of all.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2012

If we are to survive as a great republic, we must have the best, not the beastliest, from everyone.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was about the beastliest moment of my life, for I'm no good at these cold-blooded resolutions.

From The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan