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
Synonyms
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
Routed through a six-speed manual gearbox, the power was enough to launch this beast of a car from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds along the way to a top speed of 186 mph.
—
Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2025
According to the folklore, a mythical beast would come and devour villagers and livestock each Chinese New Year, but the beast was afraid of loud noises and the color red.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2025
Not the one about Jesus’ life and death, but the one about his Second Coming, featuring the world’s best foils: the red dragon, i.e., Satan, and the beast from the sea, whom theologians later interpreted as the Antichrist.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
The internet has fallen in love with the blood-sucking beasts, and that of course has manifested into the desire to smell like one.
—Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for beast 
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Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2025
According to the folklore, a mythical beast would come and devour villagers and livestock each Chinese New Year, but the beast was afraid of loud noises and the color red.
—Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2025
Not the one about Jesus’ life and death, but the one about his Second Coming, featuring the world’s best foils: the red dragon, i.e., Satan, and the beast from the sea, whom theologians later interpreted as the Antichrist.
—Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
The internet has fallen in love with the blood-sucking beasts, and that of course has manifested into the desire to smell like one.
—Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for beast
Dictionary Entries Near beast
Cite this Entry
“Beast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beast. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beast
noun1
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
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