Dictionary.com

bestial

[ bes-chuhl, bees- ]
/ ˈbɛs tʃəl, ˈbis- /
Save This Word!

adjective
of, relating to, or having the form of a beast: the belief that a person could assume bestial form after death;the bestial signs of the zodiac.
without reason or intelligence; brutal; inhuman: bestial treatment of prisoners.
beastlike in gratifying one's sensual desires; carnal; debased.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of bestial

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, either from Anglo-French or directly from Late Latin bēstiālis (Latin bēsti(a) beast + -ālis -al1)

OTHER WORDS FROM bestial

bes·tial·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bestial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bestial

bestial
/ (ˈbɛstɪəl) /

adjective
brutal or savage
sexually depraved; carnal
lacking in refinement; brutish
of or relating to a beast

Derived forms of bestial

bestially, adverb

Word Origin for bestial

C14: from Late Latin bestiālis, from Latin bestia beast
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
FEEDBACK