monstrosity

noun

mon·​stros·​i·​ty män-ˈsträ-sə-tē 

plural monstrosities

1

a

: a malformation of a plant or animal

b

: something deviating from the normal : freak

2

: the quality or state of being monstrous

the monstrosity of the tsunami's devastation

3

a

: an object of great and often frightening size, force, or complexity

this monstrosity, the atomic bomb

b

: an excessively bad or shocking example

The new mall is an architectural monstrosity.

Synonyms

• abnormality
• anomaly
• freak
• monster

Examples of monstrosity in a Sentence

Did you see the new mall? It's a monstrosity.

any monstrosities born to the farm animals were sent to the agricultural college for study

Recent Examples on the Web

So who is the Donatello or Brancusi responsible for this monstrosity? —Victor Mather, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

This monstrosity Tuesday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.? —Gregg Doyel, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Jan. 2024

Read: Führer humor: the art of the Nazi comedy In El Conde, Pinochet’s monstrosity keeps him at arm’s length, and the film doesn’t ask viewers to relate to his violent motives. —Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2024

Oh, right, so: This particular kingdom has been plagued for centuries by a massive, winged, fire-breathing monstrosity, who — in Damsel‘s brief but hectic preamble — has literally made toast of all the king’s men. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024

Koslowski also worried that some people living on boats along the way might find themselves in the path of the metal monstrosity and get hit. —Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024

And when the Big Ten adds Washington along with Oregon, USC and UCLA to become an 18-team monstrosity, the only thing that will unite them culturally will be the relentless pursuit of dollars. —Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2024

Set in Hawkins in 1959, the play will show the Creel family and their future supernatural monstrosity arriving in town. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 20 Sep. 2023

Those big, blue monstrosities that are hanging around the house? —Cindy Dampier, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

monstrosity

noun

mon·​stros·​i·​ty män-ˈsträs-ət-ē 

plural monstrosities

1

: the condition of being monstrous

2

: something monstrous : monster