wildebeest

noun

wil·​de·​beest ˈwil-də-ˌbēst 

plural wildebeests also wildebeest

: either of two large African antelopes (Connochaetes gnou and C. taurinus) with a head like that of an ox, short mane, long tail, and horns in both sexes that curve downward and outward

called also gnu

Illustration of wildebeest

Examples of wildebeest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As ever, the surrounding economic ecosystem for kids trying to make NIL deals will be populated by men like Blazer once was, feasting like hyenas and alligators on the migration of a vast herd of wildebeests. —Guy Lawson, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025

One was a cheetah running down a wildebeest and making the most necessary of tackles. —Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 14 May 2025

There, the wildebeests come through first and eat new, softer vegetation, while zebras come later, eating the tougher, older grass. —Michael Ray Taylor, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 May 2025

The same goes for the Great Migration, which typically refers to the wildebeest moving in large herds between the Serengeti and Masai Mara. —Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Afrikaans wildebees, from wilde wild + bees ox

First Known Use

circa 1824, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

wildebeest

noun

wil·​de·​beest ˈwil-də-ˌbēst 

plural wildebeest also wildebeest

: either of two large African antelopes with a head like that of an ox, a short mane, a long tail, and horns that curve downward and outward

called also gnu