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 Razer Kishi Ultra ($149.99), however, is a beast of a USB-C controller that's comfortable in even the largest hands.
—
PCMAG, 30 May 2024
The rest of the group were beasts on their instruments — especially González, who delivered a flurry of beats and embellishments on the drumkit.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 26 May 2024
The good and the bad of the new iPads
The new iPad Pro and iPad Air are sturdy, powerful, beautiful machines that are still fiddly and expensive
Start Slideshow
The latest iPads are strange beasts.
—Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 May 2024
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4000 B.C. research reveals how these primitive beasts looked and even sounded.
—EW.com, 12 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for beast 
PCMAG, 30 May 2024
The rest of the group were beasts on their instruments — especially González, who delivered a flurry of beats and embellishments on the drumkit.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 26 May 2024
The good and the bad of the new iPads
The new iPad Pro and iPad Air are sturdy, powerful, beautiful machines that are still fiddly and expensive
Start Slideshow
The latest iPads are strange beasts.
—Kyle Barr / Gizmodo, Quartz, 17 May 2024
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
4000 B.C. research reveals how these primitive beasts looked and even sounded.
—EW.com, 12 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 6 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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