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Definition of beast noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

beast

noun
 
 
/biːst/
 
/biːst/
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  1.  
    (old-fashioned or formal) an animal, especially one that is large or dangerous, or one that is unusual
    • wild/savage/ferocious beasts
    • mythical beasts such as unicorns and dragons
    Extra Examples
    • Savage beasts once roamed these forests.
    • The princess came face-to-face with a hideous wild beast.
    • They found the fossilized skeletons of prehistoric beasts.
    Topics Animalsc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • ferocious
    • ravenous
    • savage
    • …
    phrases
    • a beast of burden
    • a beast of prey
    See full entry
  2. a person who is cruel and whose behaviour shows a lack of control synonym animal
    • The beast in her wanted to destroy his house.
    Extra Examples
    • You filthy beast!
    • Somehow I brought out the beast in him.
    • Local people live in fear of this unknown sex beast.
  3. (informal, often humorous) an unpleasant person or thing
    • The maths exam was a real beast.
  4. (informal) a thing of a particular kind synonym animal
    • His new guitar is a very expensive beast.
    5. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French beste, based on Latin bestia.
See beast in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
Check pronunciation: beast

Nearby words

pepper
noun
 
 
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