English Reference

Word

monstrous

Phoneticsmon·strous

US/ˈmɑnstɹəs/

UK/mˈɒnstɹəs/

Definitions

01cruel or shocking

B2

adj. extremely cruel, evil, or unfair in a way that shocks you.

adj. shockingly evil, cruel, or morally wrong. Often used to describe crimes, lies, or injustices.

“It was a monstrous lie that destroyed the man's reputation.”

“The dictator was eventually held accountable for the monstrous crimes committed against his own people during the civil war.”

Antonyms

02very large

B2

adj. unusually large, often in a way that is scary or impressive.

adj. extraordinarily large in size, extent, or amount; colossal.

“A monstrous wave crashed against the side of the small boat.”

“The project was hampered by a monstrous amount of paperwork that delayed the construction for several months.”

Antonyms

03ugly or frightening

B2

adj. looking like a monster; very ugly or scary to look at.

adj. having the appearance of a monster; hideous or grotesque in form.

“The old mask had a monstrous face with long, sharp teeth.”

“In the dim light of the cave, the jagged rock formations took on monstrous shapes that unsettled the hikers.”

Real-World Examples

“Reigning javelin king Rumesh Pathirage launched a monstrous 91.09m final throw for the win to continue his unbeaten streak this season.”
Al Jazeera · 13 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Middle English monstrous, from Old French monstrueuse, monstrüos, from Latin mōnstrōsus. Compare monstruous. By surface analysis, monster + -ous.

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

Word family

monsterNounmonstrosityNounmonstrousAdjective

Related words

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/monstrous

English Reference