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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beastliness
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
But Jere Cordell, of San Diego, swears the beastly carrier USS Nimitz won an impromptu drag race against slender cruisers a half-century ago off Norfolk, Va.
—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Dec. 2025
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
In this tale as old as time, local bookworm Belle (Paige O'Hara) travels to a faraway castle where her father is being held captive by a prince–turned–beastly creature.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Adjective
An American Werewolf in London' (1981) American dudes backpacking in England get attacked by a werewolf, one of them becomes a beastly nuisance on the full moon, and things get bloody freaky in old London Town.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
But Jere Cordell, of San Diego, swears the beastly carrier USS Nimitz won an impromptu drag race against slender cruisers a half-century ago off Norfolk, Va.
—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Dec. 2025
Adverb
Logan is super skilled, beastly strong.
—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
In this tale as old as time, local bookworm Belle (Paige O'Hara) travels to a faraway castle where her father is being held captive by a prince–turned–beastly creature.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beastliness
Noun
-
But it’s lost on these boys, whose youth has been ground away by the drug trade’s meaningless brutality.
-
There is a weird intimacy to hand-to-hand combat and the brutality of it.
Noun
-
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a judge released Cruz on his own recognizance June 4 following his arraignment on felony animal cruelty charges in Sacramento Superior Court.
-
At one point, the narrator, embarrassed by his own act of cruelty, gives a sobbing woman all his money and then leaves her alone in a hotel room.
Cite this Entry
“Beastliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beastliness. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
