monster

[ mon-ster ]

/ ˈmɒn stər /

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See synonyms for: monster / monsters on Thesaurus.com

noun

a nonhuman creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people.

any creature grotesquely deviating from the normal shape, behavior, or character.

a person who provokes or elicits horror by wickedness, cruelty, etc.

any animal or thing huge in size.

a legendary animal combining features of animal and human form or having the forms of various animals in combination, as a centaur, griffin, or sphinx.

Biology.

an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure, as from marked malformation or the absence of certain parts or organs.
a grossly anomalous fetus or infant, especially one that is not viable.

anything unnatural or monstrous.

adjective

huge; enormous; monstrous 3: a monster tree.

OTHER WORDS FOR monster

3 fiend, brute, demon, devil, miscreant.

See synonyms for monster on Thesaurus.com

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…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of monster

1250–1300; Middle English monstre<Latin mōnstrum portent, unnatural event, monster, equivalent to mon(ēre) to warn + -strum noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM monster

mon·ster·like, adjective

Words nearby monster

monsieur, Monsignor, monsoon, monsoon low, mons pubis, monster, monstera, monstering, monster truck, monstrance, monstrosity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use monster in a sentence

So you’re creating this monster centralized, centrally linked biometric data architecture.
Eight case studies on regulating biometric technology show us a path forward|Karen Hao|September 4, 2020|MIT Technology Review
It was undoubtedly flashy, but from a usability standpoint, it felt like a Frankenstein’s monster of gadgets.
Small upgrades could make for big improvements in Samsung’s latest folding smartphone|Stan Horaczek|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science
The operator of Alipay, the ubiquitous digital wallet and financial “super app,” won a monster $150 billion valuation after a funding round in 2018.
A Chinese fintech could be bigger than Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo put together|John Detrixhe|July 20, 2020|Quartz
Another mathematical misfit, a prize possession for any cabinet, is simply known as the monster.
The Two Forms of Mathematical Beauty|Robbert Dijkgraaf|June 16, 2020|Quanta Magazine

There is a danger, I think, in assuming that anyone who does not intervene in an emergency is a monster or inherently a bad person.
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Ep. 334 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 9, 2020|Freakonomics
There was something cathartic about deleting this 2,500-word monster of a farewell, and resolving to live.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Because Duck Dynasty receives monster TV ratings and Robertson paid by a company (A&E) while making these public statements.
Butts, Brawls, and Bill Cosby: The Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2014 |Kevin Fallon|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bratton was not ready to say that Brinsley was acting as part of a group or as anything but a lone monster.
Two Cops ‘Assassinated’ in Brooklyn|Michael Daly|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In its presence--jolting, sudden, horrific—the monster is the monster of grief.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The two parties—mother and son, and monster—live in the same house, and are safe and healthy.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At last two are successful, and the monster, hardly able to breathe, stands quiet and still.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
Once again, the strong, black fist was clinched in the approaching monster's face.
A Lost Hero|Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward and Herbert D. Ward
If the hunter venture to come close to such a monster, and his dagger fail to pierce the vital spot, there is no help for him.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
The men waited till the great body of the monster became still and quiet.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
None would have believed that the cowardly monster Fear was for ever feasting upon his heart.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for monster

monster

/ (ˈmɒnstə) /

noun

an imaginary beast, such as a centaur, usually made up of various animal or human parts

a person, animal, or plant with a marked structural deformity

a cruel, wicked, or inhuman person

a very large person, animal, or thing
(as modifier)a monster cake

verb (tr)

Australian and NZ informal to criticize (a person or group) severely

Australian and NZ sport to use intimidating tactics against (an opponent)

Word Origin for monster

C13: from Old French monstre, from Latin monstrum portent, from monēre to warn

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with monster

monster

see green-eyed monster.

monster

OTHER WORDS FOR monster

Origin of monster

OTHER WORDS FROM monster

Words nearby monster

Words related to monster

How to use monster in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monster

Word Origin for monster

Other Idioms and Phrases with monster