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
Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
One of the toughest bosses from the original Daemon X Machina was the beastly Zeruchroar.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Jason Momoa bought a 1929 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Doctor’s Coupe, a staid two-door that clashes with the actor’s beastly onscreen persona.
—Brett Berk, HollywoodReporter, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Adjective
While its smiling face looks up at you sweetly, its 620W motor generates a beastly 2300mm of H2O of suction pressure.
—Alex Harrington, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
One of the toughest bosses from the original Daemon X Machina was the beastly Zeruchroar.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Protecting Renda is a beastly offensive line with multiple high-profile recruits, including junior Michigan pledge Tristan Dare, junior Oklahoma pledge Luke Wilson and senior Memphis pledge Carey Clayton.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
Jason Momoa bought a 1929 Rolls-Royce 20 HP Doctor’s Coupe, a staid two-door that clashes with the actor’s beastly onscreen persona.
—Brett Berk, HollywoodReporter, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beastliness
Noun
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Good Friday is a day to recognize the brutality of the Roman practice of crucifying criminals and to reflect with sincerity on the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for the world.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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All are committed to the principles of the 1979 revolution and will rule with greater brutality given their lack of legitimacy.—
Abigail Williams,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Whatever transformation occurs reflects the brute metamorphosis of character into symbol, not the fullness of realism or the vividness of fiction.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Apr. 2026
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Jeannot is both a tactician and a juggernaut, blending technique with his brute strength.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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That can be attributed to the fact that Rolex models were already highly valued in 2018 and were also in extremely high demand during the pandemic.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2026
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Almost all natural bodies of water bear fish life, with the exception of very hot thermal ponds and extremely salt-alkaline lakes, such as the Dead Sea in Asia and the Great Salt Lake in North America.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The post-liberals stand for cruelty and inanity, but Brooks can’t admit to standing for much of anything at all.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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In an era of near continuous cruelty by the administration, the imprisonment of the boy and his father attracted massive media and political attention and eventually saw both released on February 1.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the timing of this meltdown was brutal.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
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Orlando City heads west after a two-week break, trying to snap out of a brutal early-season slump, but the Lions face a steep climb against a Los Angeles FC squad that hasn’t conceded a goal this year.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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There are double lotteries and protections that would put a safety net beneath the very worst teams.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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For activities lasting longer than 1-2 hours, or in very hot environments, sports drinks can help replenish carbohydrates and electrolytes, but be mindful of sugar content.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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No faction is more divided than the British, however, with benign diplomat Thomas Hopkins (Billy Howle) at odds with the almost feral Army captain Orde Wingate (Aramayo), reputed father of the modern IDF.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
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Evil Kirk is a frightening, primal menace, skulking around the corridors like a feral beast, chugging brandy and assaulting Yeoman Rand with no conscience.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The new Attorney General is apt to be just as destructive as Bondi—maybe even more so, given that Bondi, who had little familiarity with the federal legal system, was not terribly effective in the job.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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In his absence was a grievance fest about a nation heading terribly off course, with foes at every turn to defy the greatness for which MAGA yearns.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beastliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beastliness. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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