beast
noun
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Definition of beast
1a : 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
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Synonyms for beast
Synonyms
baddie (or baddy), brute, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, savage, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scoundrel, varlet, villain, wretch
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Examples of beast in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Revelers try to get as close as possible to the spark-shooting beasts without getting burned, or worse. — Lorraine Ali, latimes.com, "Review: 'Brimstone & Glory' looks at a small town in Mexico where fireworks are made," 1 July 2018 Portrayals of dinosaurs with lizard-like tongues hearken to early interpretations of the beasts as oversized lizards. — Mindy Weisberger, Scientific American, "T. Rex Couldn’t Stick Out Its Tongue," 24 June 2018 This isn’t the first time a black panther has allegedly been spotted in the Blue Mountains with an apparent rare sighting captured of the mythical beast last month. — Shireen Khalil, Fox News, "Mysterious catlike creature, five times size of feral cat, caught on film," 12 June 2018 In 2003, the BBC funded a massive expedition using satellites and 600 sonar beams but didn’t find any signs of the beast. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "DNA Survey of Life in Loch Ness Will Hunt for Its Monster Resident," 29 May 2018 The Guardian Angels go into the belly of the beast in Chicago, Detroit, Trenton. — Allison Klein, Washington Post, "‘If anything happens in that school, I’m coming in that door’: Meet the unarmed volunteers patrolling Stoneman Douglas High School," 22 May 2018 Whatever kind of beast it is now moved from the front of the house to the back of the house quickly, then tried to climb one side of the A-frame. — Rasputin Todd, Cincinnati.com, "The diary of a broken man and his 'pet' raccoon," 11 May 2018 Its past identity is falling away in favor of a beast with many of the same rhetorical techniques, but different goals. — Daniel D'addario, Time, "Laura Ingraham Is Fox News's Problem, and Its Way Forward," 10 Apr. 2018 How to Get Around Miami has the largest street-grid system in the Southeast, and most people get around by car—which means traffic is a bit of beast. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Essential Things to Know Before You Visit Miami," 2 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beast.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Learn More about beast
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Beast Mode
Beast Mode
An aggressive persona one might assume when in competition
Phrases Related to beast
Statistics for beast
Last Updated
16 Sep 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for beast
The first known use of beast was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for beast
beast
noun
English Language Learners Definition of beast
: an animal; especially : a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual
: an unkind or cruel person
: a person or thing of a particular kind
See the full definition for beast in the English Language Learners Dictionary
beast
noun
\
Kids Definition of beast
1 : a mammal with four feet (as a bear or deer) especially as distinguished from human beings beasts of the forest
2 : a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual
3 : a farm animal especially when kept for work beasts of burden
4 : a horrid person
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