bestiality

noun

ˌbes-chē-ˈa-lə-tē How to pronounce bestiality (audio)
Definition of bestialitynext
as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal by the end of hostilities the suffering populace had been reduced to a level of bestiality that would have been unthinkable before the war

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestiality
  1. brutality
  2. cruelty
Noun
  • The case got widespread attention because of the brutality of the killing, the ages of the people involved and because a satanic symbol was carved into the victim’s body.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.
    — Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • McKinsey was charged in Alameda County with one count of cruelty to a child and corporal injury to a child, both misdemeanors.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Almost a decade later in its Broadway debut, it’s lost none of that, and White’s production — perhaps inevitably given the arc of those passing years — adds sharpness to its cruelties and weight to its grief.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruelty
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.

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bestial
bestiality
bestialize
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Cite this Entry

“Bestiality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestiality. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bestiality

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bestiality

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