1
as in brutes
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
she's a real beast to anyone who makes the mistake of crossing her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
he always has to act like a beast whenever things don't go his way
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in animals
one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings
a frigid night that was fit for neither man nor beast
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in headaches
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
controlling the state's vast bureaucracy has always been a beast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of beasts
Our team of a half dozen volunteers worked for a little over an hour, amazed at the size of these starchy beasts in the earthy soil.
—
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Being trained in combat, and armed with swords, spears, and bows and arrows, the gladiators were able to turn the tables on the wild beasts; the result was another predictable slaughter, in this case of the animals.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
How can a small compete in a world of oversize jock beasts?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
All these beasts have been beneficial to Natalie's development, but we've been surprised by how wide-ranging those benefits have been.
—Bill Strickland, Parents, 8 Feb. 2026
In my work, that sometimes means developing elaborate characters who can battle beasts, dragons and giants.
—Emily Messina, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2026
In these 2-foot-square pictures, long-haired nude female figures in close Edenic companionship with wild beasts poke their heads out from behind lush tropical foliage, and stare, unsettlingly, straight outward.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
However, South Africa’s history was wrought with geological conflict as erupting volcanoes destroyed traces of preexisting dinosaurs while those beasts were still alive.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
The ‘big man’ era of football managers is apparently past, and yet this era has still been marked by big beasts.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2026
Being trained in combat, and armed with swords, spears, and bows and arrows, the gladiators were able to turn the tables on the wild beasts; the result was another predictable slaughter, in this case of the animals.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
How can a small compete in a world of oversize jock beasts?
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
All these beasts have been beneficial to Natalie's development, but we've been surprised by how wide-ranging those benefits have been.
—Bill Strickland, Parents, 8 Feb. 2026
In my work, that sometimes means developing elaborate characters who can battle beasts, dragons and giants.
—Emily Messina, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2026
In these 2-foot-square pictures, long-haired nude female figures in close Edenic companionship with wild beasts poke their heads out from behind lush tropical foliage, and stare, unsettlingly, straight outward.
—Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
However, South Africa’s history was wrought with geological conflict as erupting volcanoes destroyed traces of preexisting dinosaurs while those beasts were still alive.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
The ‘big man’ era of football managers is apparently past, and yet this era has still been marked by big beasts.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beasts
Noun
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For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Bird flu spreads through feces and saliva, which can impact other animals and humans.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Research in this area is limited — and mostly in animals.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Major industry groups including the American Petroleum Institute have not fought to kill the federal endangerment finding, because a patchwork of state laws could ultimately replace it — leading to legal headaches and a raft of nuisance lawsuits against them, experts said.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The philosopher’s epic struggles with headaches led in part to his belief that God was dead, and also to a belief that pain, both physical and emotional, was more generative than health.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And where do the villains come in?—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
-
His heroic actions — along with those of returning protagonists Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) —ultimately foil the villains.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The introduction of rats, dogs, cats and stoats, as well as hunting by people and destruction of native forest habitats, drove species of the country’s flourishing flightless birds — the kakapo among them — to near or complete extinction.—
Charlotte Graham-McLay,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Before moving to the two-story structure’s exterior stairs, SWAT officers encountered two barking dogs.—
Chase Rogers,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The strategic trading card game Magic, which was created in 1993, typically features two players going head-to-head using custom decks of collectible cards to cast spells, unleash creatures or use artifacts to defeat their opponent.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
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Every morning, animal care manager Kim Carr stops by to prepare breakfast, scattering treats across their enclosures that are filled with fake tree trunks, log piles and hanging branches — an organic jungle gym for creatures that are born to climb and play.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lepore agreed that bringing in well-paying jobs should be a top priority.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The president, dean and department head lost their jobs within days.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Roadrunners, javelinas and gila monsters thrive here, and petroglyphs can be found on rocks in the western district of the park.—
Graham Averill,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
-
With the ninth main entry in the franchise, Resident Evil Requiem, the monsters show no sign of slowing down.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beasts. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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