as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
a film depicting the sheer beastliness of life in a street gang
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
left to shift for himself on an isolated farm, he gradually sank into a beastly, purposeless existence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in extremely
to a great degree
it's beastly hot today
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of beastliness
Meredith Garofalo, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Robinson was too beastly for Washington rookie Alex Sarr down low.
—Stan Son, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
Olivia-Anne Cleary, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
For the surfers ready to take on the beautiful, beastly wave called Teahupo’o, riding inside the deep barrel could mean the thrill of their life – or a dangerous dance with disaster.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Adjective
Solar flares are ranked and categorized by their power on a 4-level classification scale, with M-class the second strongest to the beastly X-class at the top.
—Meredith Garofalo, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2024
Robinson was too beastly for Washington rookie Alex Sarr down low.
—Stan Son, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
Adverb
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic—Getty Images Now 50 and a dad of four, Williams appears to view the only industry he’s ever known as both beautiful and beastly.
—Olivia-Anne Cleary, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
For the surfers ready to take on the beautiful, beastly wave called Teahupo’o, riding inside the deep barrel could mean the thrill of their life – or a dangerous dance with disaster.
—Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 26 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beastliness
Noun
-
But the picture’s cartoonish brutality is cathartic.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
6 June 2025
-
Failing to silence his work through restrictions and brutality, the Iranian regime appears to have been resigned to simply ignoring Panahi.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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After seizing power in 2007, Hamas clamped down on Gaza’s gangs — sometimes with brute force and sometimes by steering perks their way.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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His brute force and scoring touch were the perfect blend of physicality and finesse Florida needed and a dominant style of game that carries over into the postseason.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2025
Adverb
-
Mills, a longtime associate of Fiona Apple, knows this territory well: the pointed self-analysis of an extremely sensitive person.—
Jenn Pelly,
Time,
7 June 2025
-
City’s academy has been extremely productive in recent years, with Phil Foden the shining light, but Rico Lewis, James McAtee, Oscar Bobb and O’Reilly are all now established squad players.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Noun
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But by holding the threat of losing access to your grandchildren over you, your kids are showing an unnecessary amount of cruelty to people (you) who don’t deserve it.—
Eric Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
-
There will always be injustice, cruelty and abuses of power.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
-
Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Adverb
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Wilkerson said dental procedures are generally very safe.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
King Charles is very sick, and there are reports that succession plans are already underway.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Saoirse could be totally feral and go so high, and then be so subtle and go there in a very real way with all those emotions.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 June 2025
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Unlike feral cats, which live in colonies, and avoid human contact, stray cats often hang out near homes.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
Adverb
-
So, this is a terrible – terribly misguided policy.—
/ CBS News,
CBS News,
1 June 2025
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Walker is not terribly splitty, and the Cardinals committed to giving him consistent playing time.—
Katie Woo,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beastliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beastliness. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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