Frankenstein
Americannoun
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a person who creates a monster or a destructive agency that cannot be controlled or that brings about the creator's ruin.
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Also called Frankenstein monster. the monster or destructive agency itself.
noun
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a person who creates something that brings about his ruin
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Also called: Frankenstein's monster. a thing that destroys its creator
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Frequently the subject of horror films, the monster is usually pictured with an oversized square brow, metal bolts in his neck and forehead, and greenish skin. People often mistakenly refer to the monster, rather than to his creator, as “Frankenstein.”
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Frankenstein
First recorded in 1830–40; after a character in Mary Shelley's novel of the same name (1818)
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.
This is the formula for these legacy sequels: Strip the original film for parts and then Frankenstein those parts into something new.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
As the bestseller “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies” pointed out last year, the companies creating these digital Frankenstein monsters don’t even know how they operate.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
Flatworms are highly effective at rebuilding their own bodies, but these fused "Frankenstein" worms rejected tissue from unrelated individuals.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
Ward added that “I’d rather drink full-sugar, Mexican Coke or, shock, Pepsi Zero, than allow the soulless Frankenstein monster known as Diet Coke to pass my lips.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
Reyna had stitched up the gashes on his biceps, which gave Nico a slightly creepy Frankenstein look, but the cuts were still swollen and red.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
