bestial

1 of 2

adjective

bes·​tial ˈbes-chəl 

ˈbesh-, 

ˈbēs- 

ˈbēsh-

1

a

: of or relating to beasts

grotesque combinations of human and bestial forms

b

: resembling a beast

a bestial shape

2

a

: lacking intelligence or reason

… the bestial man has no sense of right and wrong …

—J. E. Hankins

b

: marked by base (see base entry 3 sense 1a) or inhuman instincts or desires : brutal

bestial violence

… a scene of bestial intoxication …

—Herman Melville

bestialize

ˈbes-chə-ˌlīz 

ˈbesh-, 

ˈbēs-, 

ˈbēsh-

transitive verb

bestially

ˈbes-chə-lē 

ˈbesh-, 

ˈbēs-, 

ˈbēsh-

adverb

bestialize

2 of 2

transitive verb

bes·​tial·​ize ˈbes-chə-ˌlīz 

ˈbesh-, 

ˈbēs-, 

ˈbēsh- British usually & US sometimes ˈbest-yə- or ˈbē-stē-ə-

-ed/-ing/-s

1

: to change into a beast (see beast sense 1b)

a man who has been bestialized into a gigantic beetle

—Time

2

: to cause to display bestial qualities : brutalize, degrade

such values as those of technics, the state, the race or the class bestialize man

—J. H. Hallowell

Synonyms of bestial

Adjective

• brute
• brutal
• feral
• animalistic

Choose the Right Synonym for bestial

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of bestial in a Sentence

Adjective

an apocalyptic sci-fi classic in which a lone drifter fights to avoid the bestial existence lived by the mass of survivors

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Those who believe Israelis and Jews capable of such an outrage might feel justified in wishing that such bestial monsters were wiped from the Earth—a shift from disgust to dehumanization to possible destruction that is well charted by social psychologists. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

Neither one of these people appears to be enjoying themselves, but the woman soon begins to grunt with the bestial upset of a werewolf under a full moon. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 18 May 2026

Where Gilgamesh is civilized, Enkidu is bestial, tamed only by the temple courtesan Shamhat via six days and seven nights of lovemaking. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2026

What do digital animals, these bestial avatars, make possible? —Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin bestialis, from bestia beast

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bestial

• celestial

Kids Definition

bestial

adjective

bes·​tial ˈbes-chəl  ˈbēs- 

1

: resembling a beast

2

: having or showing qualities like those of a beast : brutal, inhuman

bestiality

ˌbes-chē-ˈal-ət-ē, 

ˌbēs-

noun

bestially

-chə-lē 

adverb