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
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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
Stan Son, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
This relapse tumor meant Trent was battling a beastly form of the disease.
—Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024
Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2024
There’s a reason this beastly, brawny truck is still doing quite well despite being the oldest truck of its type on the market.
—Josh Max, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Adjective
Robinson was too beastly for Washington rookie Alex Sarr down low.
—Stan Son, The Athletic, 18 July 2024
This relapse tumor meant Trent was battling a beastly form of the disease.
—Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024
Adverb
As part of the intake stroke, a supercharger pulls and squeezes air into the engine to create that beastly whine.
—Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2024
There’s a reason this beastly, brawny truck is still doing quite well despite being the oldest truck of its type on the market.
—Josh Max, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for beastliness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beastliness
Noun
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But hopefully his brutality would be even more intense because of his kindness.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Apr. 2025
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The speed, brutality, and clandestine manner in which these children were deported is beyond unconscionable, and every official responsible for it should be held accountable.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With brute force attacks now happily using GPU power to drive the guessing of password combos and load password-stealing malware, and AI increasingly helping such threats to evolve, years turn into minutes, minutes into seconds, and defences start to look quite weak in many cases.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
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Wilson, one-of-one league-wide for his ability to mix brute force and high-end skill, single-handedly changed the result of a playoff game.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Buy something fun and extremely nerdy Lots of places discount their Star Wars merch and/or release exclusives on May 4, and StarWars.com has a roundup of all the coolest stuff, from Chewbacca flannel shirts and Hoth mini backpacks to a Grogu ring and R2-D2 Clip Charm.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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One show in late-stage development is set to mark the first small screen outing for a major Hollywood star, who will — hopefully — front an extremely high-concept game show straddling TV and video gaming.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
2 May 2025
Noun
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There’s a great line: Honesty without compassion equals cruelty.—
Jayson Jenks,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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In each of these films, cruelty commingles with tenderness, and hideous acts take place against backdrops of often stunning natural beauty.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This high school student completed a brutal swim across New Zealand's 13.67-mile Cook Strait 02:16 CNN — Maya Merhige eventually stopped counting her jellyfish stings, such was the frequency with which they were getting scorched against her skin.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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Although understanding the difference between destructive and constructive feedback helps leaders communicate brutal truths without causing unnecessary harm, these examples highlight how easily criticism can become a personal attack.—
Topsie VandenBosch,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Chobani broke ground on a very, very big natural foods plant in Rome, New York, after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a press conference about the company's long-term investment late last month.—
Amy Neff Roth,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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An imperative to invest in women’s health The Women’s Health Initiative was established in response to a growing realization that very little medical research existed to inform health care that was specifically relevant to women.—
Jean Wactawski-Wende,
The Conversation,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Mining, feral animals and shifting fire regimes continue to shape its future.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The three islands are home to more than 800 endemic plant and animal species, many of which are threatened by invasive mice, feral cats, and pigs.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Our minds, for all their attunement to the nuances of the physical world—the subtle shifts in light, the micro-expressions that move on the faces of other people—are not terribly adept at perceiving those distinctions through the filters of airwaves and screens.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
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This price isn't terribly juicy, hence the recommendation to wager a half-unit instead of a full unit.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beastliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beastliness. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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