beast

noun

1
a
: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from a human being, a lower vertebrate, and an invertebrate
b
: a lower animal as distinguished from a human being
c
: an animal as distinguished from a plant
d
: an animal under human control
2
: a contemptible person
3
: something formidably difficult to control or deal with

Examples of beast in a Sentence

dogs and other four-footed beasts the birds and beasts of the forest They were attacked by a savage beast. He's a cruel, hateful beast!
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Yet Blake doesn’t leave unscathed, as he’s scratched by a beast that looks suspiciously lycanthropic. William Earl, Variety, 17 Jan. 2025 During the ruckus, Blake is gashed by the beast, beginning his gradual transformation and degeneration into a Wolf Man. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2025 Also, their pass rush is a beast — Ohio State notched eight sacks against Oregon. Asher Price, Axios, 9 Jan. 2025 Japanese publisher Capcom goes out of its way to create believable ecosystems populated with strange, wondrous beasts, only to give the player a gigantic sword to carve through it all. Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for beast 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beste, from Anglo-French, from Latin bestia

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of beast was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beast

Cite this Entry

“Beast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beast. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

beast

noun
1
a
: a four-footed mammal as distinguished from human beings and from lower animals both with and without backbones
b
: a farm animal especially when kept for heavy work
2
: a mean or brutal person

More from Merriam-Webster on beast

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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