Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bestial differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bestial are brutal, brutish, and feral. While all these words mean "characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct," bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

In what contexts can brutal take the place of bestial?

The words brutal and bestial can be used in similar contexts, but brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

When is it sensible to use brutish instead of bestial?

While the synonyms brutish and bestial are close in meaning, brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

When can feral be used instead of bestial?

While in some cases nearly identical to bestial, feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

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 bestial The bestial prelude to love comes in many (weird, wild, even mildly horrifying) forms. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 The Beast taps into man’s bestial nature, inviting visitors through Jack the Ripper’s London, the Werewolf Forest and a maze in a medieval castle that defies visitors to find a way out. Robert Trussell, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 Rodin’s Crouching Woman, paired in the exhibit with Claudel’s later work of the same name, is locked in an unlikely, bestial position. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 It’s also built to meet Appendix K FIA regulations for competition, with a period-correct 5.3-liter V-8 that makes appropriately bestial noises. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for bestial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestial
Adjective
  • Breaking free from this web requires not just brute force but precise, intelligent tools.
    Prajwalkumar Bhatkar, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Stam, now 52, was indeed characterized by brute force throughout his career.
    Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The occasional injury is unavoidable in a tournament where the intensity is this high, but that doesn’t make the outcome any less brutal for Theodore and the Golden Knights. 4.
    Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Yellowjackets: Synopsis, Cast Season three of Yellowjackets sees the survivors of a brutal plane crash fight to live in the wilderness during winter during the late ’90s, while their present-day counterparts are forced to confront the secrets from their past lives.
    Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Scrim was squeezed into a trap that had been set for feral cats.
    Rick Rojas, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
  • More than 80 domestic cats, among many other types of mammals, have been confirmed to have had bird flu since 2022 -- generally barn cats that lived on dairy farms, as well as feral cats and pets that spend time outdoors and likely caught it by hunting diseased rodents or wild birds.
    Sarah Boden, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bestial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestial. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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