bestial

adjective

bes·​tial ˈbes-chəl 

ˈbesh-,

ˈbēs-,

ˈbēsh- 

1

a

: of or relating to beasts

grotesque combinations of human and bestial forms

b

: resembling a beast

a bestial shape

2

a

: lacking intelligence or reason

… the bestial man has no sense of right and wrong …

—J. E. Hankins

b

: marked by base (see base entry 3 sense 1a) or inhuman instincts or desires : brutal

bestial violence

… a scene of bestial intoxication …

—Herman Melville

bestialize

ˈbes-chə-ˌlīz 

ˈbesh-

ˈbēs-

ˈbēsh-

transitive verb

bestially

ˈbes-chə-lē 

ˈbesh-

ˈbēs-

ˈbēsh-

adverb

Synonyms

• animalistic
• beastly
• brutal
• brute
• brutish
• feral
• ferine
• subhuman
• swinish

Choose the Right Synonym for bestial

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of bestial in a Sentence

an apocalyptic sci-fi classic in which a lone drifter fights to avoid the bestial existence lived by the mass of survivors

Recent Examples on the Web

Movies tend to anthropomorphize their dogs by projecting recognizably human qualities onto them, but Bob Peterson and Pete Docter’s script embraces the less bestial parts of being an animal. —Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2024

The bestial prelude to love comes in many (weird, wild, even mildly horrifying) forms. —Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024

The Beast taps into man’s bestial nature, inviting visitors through Jack the Ripper’s London, the Werewolf Forest and a maze in a medieval castle that defies visitors to find a way out. —Robert Trussell, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024

Rodin’s Crouching Woman, paired in the exhibit with Claudel’s later work of the same name, is locked in an unlikely, bestial position. —Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin bestialis, from bestia beast

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

bestial

adjective

bes·​tial ˈbes-chəl  ˈbēs- 

1

: resembling a beast

2

: having or showing qualities like those of a beast : brutal, inhuman

bestiality

ˌbes-chē-ˈal-ət-ē

ˌbēs-

noun

bestially

-chə-lē 

adverb