beast
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a large, wild, or dangerous animal.
n.a large or formidable animal, typically a land vertebrate, as distinguished from humans, insects, or fish.
Simple“The hunters followed the tracks of the great beast through the deep snow.”
In context“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.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person who is very cruel, violent, or behaves like an animal.
n.a person who acts in a violent, antisocial, or uncivilised manner, lacking human empathy.
Simple“The dictator was a beast who showed no mercy to his own people.”
In context“The prosecutor described the defendant as a beast, arguing that the calculated nature of the crime proved a total lack of human conscience.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something that is very difficult, unpleasant, or hard to control.
n.a thing or matter that is particularly difficult, complex, or unruly to manage.
Simple“This new software project is a beast and will take months to finish.”
In context“The tax code is a different beast entirely, requiring years of specialised study to navigate its various loopholes and contradictions.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.someone who is very strong, talented, or impressive at what they do.
n.an individual who displays exceptional skill, power, or dominance, particularly in athletic or competitive contexts.
Simple“He is an absolute beast on the football field and nobody can stop him.”
In context“After months of intensive training, she became a beast in the weight room, consistently outperforming athletes twice her size.”
Teacher's tipThis is a positive term in modern slang, especially in gym culture and gaming, though it sounds aggressive in other contexts.
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to make someone do very hard physical exercise as a punishment or training.
v.to subject someone to arduous physical exercises, typically as a disciplinary measure or intensive military training.
Simple“The sergeant would beast the recruits if they arrived late for morning drill.”
In context“The rugby coach was known to beast his players during the pre-season, believing that extreme physical fatigue built mental resilience.”
UsageUsually used as a transitive verb where the subject is an authority figure.
- 06 C1 Advanced
adj.very good, powerful, or impressive.
adj.denoting something that is excellent, powerful, or of high quality.
Simple“That new car has a beast engine that sounds amazing.”
In context“The guitarist delivered a beast performance that left the entire audience in awe of his technical proficiency.”
“And besides, it’s a total classic: any excuse to revisit its absolute beast of a rhythm track.”
“The fossil, collected in Antarctica in 1985, is part of the tail of a beast called a Titanosaur.”
From Middle English beeste, beste, from Old French beste (French bête), from Latin bēstia (“animal, beast”); many cognates – see bēstia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.