English Reference

Word

beast mode

Phoneticsbeast·mode

Definition

compound. a state of mind where you work or perform with extreme energy, focus, and strength, often to achieve a difficult goal.

compound. a state of intense focus, aggression, or peak performance, typically in sports or demanding tasks, where an individual operates at maximum capacity.

Examples

“He went into beast mode and finished the project in one night.”

“During the final quarter of the championship game, the running back went into beast mode and scored three touchdowns.”

“To meet the aggressive end-of-year targets, the entire development team entered a collective beast mode, working around the clock to deploy the software update.”

Examples

simple

“He went into beast mode and finished the project in one night.”

contextual

“During the final quarter of the championship game, the running back went into beast mode and scored three touchdowns.”

complex

“To meet the aggressive end-of-year targets, the entire development team entered a collective beast mode, working around the clock to deploy the software update.”

Usage

Commonly functions as the object of verbs like 'go into' or 'enter'.

Real-World Examples

“Beast Mode is about applying yourself and defying the limitations people put on you.”
BBC · 6 Jan 2015
“A young project manager turning down after-hours beers, for instance, may explain that he has to pull an all-nighter, e-mailing, “ACTIVATE EXCEL BEAST MODE.”
The New Republic · 8 Oct 2013
“Lynch's transition culminated in a legendary 67-yard run against the Saints, known as "Beast Mode," which defined his impact on the team.”
The Athletic · 27 Oct 2021
“When ‘Beast Mode’ is on, no team can stop him.”
BBC Sport · 5 Jan 2015

Etymology

Popularized in the early 2010s by American football player Marshawn Lynch, who used the phrase to describe his aggressive running style. It quickly spread from sports into fitness culture and general slang to describe any intense effort or focus.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

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C1 · Advanced
Updated

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English Reference