beast

 
Pronunciation: /biːst/

noun

  • an animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one: a wild beast
  • (usually beasts) a domestic animal, especially a bovine farm animal: mucking out and feeding the beasts is a big job
  • archaic or humorous an animal as opposed to a human: the gift of reason differentiates humanity from the beasts
  • an inhumanly cruel, violent, or depraved person: he is a filthy drunken beast sex beasts who are assaulting victims
  • informal an objectionable or unpleasant person or thing: a scheming, manipulative little beast
  • (the beast) a person’s brutish or untamed characteristics: the beast in you is rearing its ugly head
  • [with adjective] informal a thing possessing a specified quality: that much-maligned beast, the rave record

Derivatives

beast-like

adjective

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French beste, based on Latin bestia