1
a
: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from a human being, a lower vertebrate, and an invertebrate
b
: a lower animal as distinguished from a human being
c
: an animal as distinguished from a plant
d
: an animal under human control
2
: a contemptible person
3
: something formidably difficult to control or deal with
Synonyms
Examples of beast in a Sentence
dogs and other four-footed beasts
the birds and beasts of the forest
They were attacked by a savage beast.
He's a cruel, hateful beast!
Recent Examples on the Web
The rush to create seemingly infinite content to feed the insatiable streaming beast was unsustainable for traditional media companies, which set up their own direct-to-consumer services and thus cannibalized already precarious box office returns and television networks.
—
Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Sketches and spec sheets depict an intricate beast with rattling gear columns towering 15 feet high, lever panels cranking in lockstep and thousands of moving parts churning together in a sort of steampunk orchestra.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 4 June 2024
Some young women wore dresses reminiscent of Belle and Little Red Riding Hood, their dates wore beast masks and tailored suits.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024
The Textbooks Were Wrong About How Your Tongue Works
The New Number One Guy in the Group
Julian De La Cruz, 36, rode the ferry from his home in Vallejo, Calif., just to check out the bountiful beasts.
—Heather Knight Ian C. Bates, New York Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for beast 
Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Sketches and spec sheets depict an intricate beast with rattling gear columns towering 15 feet high, lever panels cranking in lockstep and thousands of moving parts churning together in a sort of steampunk orchestra.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 4 June 2024
Some young women wore dresses reminiscent of Belle and Little Red Riding Hood, their dates wore beast masks and tailored suits.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024
The Textbooks Were Wrong About How Your Tongue Works
The New Number One Guy in the Group
Julian De La Cruz, 36, rode the ferry from his home in Vallejo, Calif., just to check out the bountiful beasts.
—Heather Knight Ian C. Bates, New York Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for beast
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beast.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near beast
Cite this Entry
“Beast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beast. Accessed 17 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beast
noun1
a
: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from human beings and from lower animals both with and without backbones
b
: a farm animal especially when kept for heavy work
2
: a mean or brutal person
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