beast

noun

ˈbēst 

1

a

: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from other animals

b

: an animal that is not 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 of beast

• brute
• villain
• monster
• savage
• devil
• criminal

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

That includes the pig Specky has been forced to kill that day, his inauguration as the new kid at the abattoir — somehow, come sundown, the beast is back, laddishly forgiving of Specky, and ready to share a pint with him. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026

Bureaucracy, the beast of all endeavors that require public authorization, had to be fed first. — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026

Directed by Eggers and co-written with Sjón, Werwulf puts a new spin on the classic werewolf tale, in which a 14th-century English town is haunted by a beast who threatens the safety of a man and his family. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026

But markets are forward-looking beasts, and Boeing letting investors down on the cash-flow ramp in the coming years is, understandably, causing many investors to dump the stock Tuesday. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beste, from Anglo-French, from Latin bestia

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing beast

• beast epic
• beast fable
• beast mode
• beast of burden
• different beast
• go beast mode
• the belly of the beast

Rhymes for beast

• ceased
• creased
• east
• feast
• fleeced
• geest
• greased
• leased
• least
• pieced
• priest
• yeast

Kids Definition

beast

noun

ˈbēst 

1

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