ENGLISH
REFERENCE

beast

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈbist// UK //bˈiːst// beast
  1. 1 large animal (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Literary

    a large, wild, or dangerous animal.

    a large or formidable animal, typically a land vertebrate, as distinguished from humans, insects, or fish.

    Example

    The hunters followed the tracks of the great beast through the deep snow.

    Example

    Ancient myths often feature a hero who must travel to a distant land to slay a mythical beast that has been terrorising the local villages.
  2. 2 cruel person (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a person who is very cruel, violent, or behaves like an animal.

    a person who acts in a violent, antisocial, or uncivilised manner, lacking human empathy.

    Example

    The dictator was a beast who showed no mercy to his own people.

    Example

    The prosecutor described the defendant as a beast, arguing that the calculated nature of the crime proved a total lack of human conscience.
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  1. 3 difficult thing (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    something that is very difficult, unpleasant, or hard to control.

    a thing or matter that is particularly difficult, complex, or unruly to manage.

    Example

    This new software project is a beast and will take months to finish.

    Example

    The tax code is a different beast entirely, requiring years of specialised study to navigate its various loopholes and contradictions.
  2. 4 skilled person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Sport

    someone who is very strong, talented, or impressive at what they do.

    an individual who displays exceptional skill, power, or dominance, particularly in athletic or competitive contexts.

    Example

    He is an absolute beast on the football field and nobody can stop him.

    Example

    After months of intensive training, she became a beast in the weight room, consistently outperforming athletes twice her size.

    Teacher's tip

    This is a positive term in modern slang, especially in gym culture and gaming, though it sounds aggressive in other contexts.
  3. 5 harsh training (v.)
    C2 Proficiency British English Informal

    to make someone do very hard physical exercise as a punishment or training.

    to subject someone to arduous physical exercises, typically as a disciplinary measure or intensive military training.

    Example

    The sergeant would beast the recruits if they arrived late for morning drill.

    Example

    The rugby coach was known to beast his players during the pre-season, believing that extreme physical fatigue built mental resilience.

    Usage

    Usually used as a transitive verb where the subject is an authority figure.
  4. 6 excellent (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang

    very good, powerful, or impressive.

    denoting something that is excellent, powerful, or of high quality.

    Example

    That new car has a beast engine that sounds amazing.

    Example

    The guitarist delivered a beast performance that left the entire audience in awe of his technical proficiency.
Origin

From Middle English beeste, beste, from Old French beste (French bête), from Latin bēstia (“animal, beast”); many cognates – see bēstia.

Word family
Idioms2 entries

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