Beast — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Beast (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. a mean, evil, or unprincipled person

   "she's a real beast to anyone who makes the mistake of crossing her"

   similar: baddie, brute, caitiff, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie, miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, savage, scalawag, scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, varlet, villain, wretch
   related: villainess, blackguard, criminal, crook, culprit, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, offender, perp, perpetrator, transgressor, sinner, trespasser, wrongdoer, cad, heel, serpent, snake, viper, bandit, bravo, desperado, outlaw, con, convict, jailbird, assassin, cutthroat, gangster, goon, gunman, hoodlum, hooligan, racketeer, ruffian, thug, rough, rowdy, tough, loser, lowlife, ne'er-do-well, stinker, trash
   near: angel, innocent, saint, hero

2. a person whose behavior is offensive to others

   "he always has to act like a beast whenever things don't go his way"

   similar: bastard, bleeder (British), blighter (chiefly British), boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, crud (slang), crumb (slang), cur, dirtbag (slang), dog, fink, heel, hound, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, reptile, rotter, schmuck (slang), scum, scumbag (slang), scuzzball (slang), skunk, sleaze, sleazebag (slang), sleazeball (slang), slime, slimeball (slang), slob, snake, so-and-so, sod (chiefly British), stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, vermin, son of a gun
   related: barbarian, brute, caveman, Neanderthal, savage, loudmouth, vulgarian, lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch, booby, doofus (slang), fool, jackass, nincompoop, ninny, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, nut, schmo (slang), airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dink (slang), dolt, dope, dork (slang), goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey, brat, insolent, nuisance, pest, snip, snob, snoot, snot, dweeb (slang), nerd
   near: hero, heroine, idol, role model, gentleman, lady, angel, saint

3. one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings

   "a frigid night that was fit for neither man nor beast"

   similar: animal, beastie, brute, creature, critter
   related: blastie (Scottish), varmint, vermin, biped, quadruped, carnivore, herbivore, insectivore, invertebrate, vertebrate, domestic animal, pet, feral, livestock, stock

4. a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work

   "controlling the state's vast bureaucracy has always been a beast"

   similar: bear, chore, headache, job, killer, labor
   related: drudgery, grind, heavy lifting, lucubration, effort, strain, sweat, burden, load, weight, bother, nuisance, trouble
   near: breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap