Beast vs. Monster — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 3, 2023
Beast refers generally to an animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one, while Monster often denotes a frightening imaginary creature or something abnormally large or powerful.
Difference Between Beast and Monster
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Key Differences
Beast and Monster, two words often used to describe creatures, each bear their unique connotations and typical uses. A Beast often directly refers to an animal, typically emphasizing its wildness or ferocity. Alternatively, a Monster may connote mythical, terrifying, or unnaturally malformed entities, often inspiring fear or dread.
When illustrating scenes of a wild nature, one might describe a lion as a Beast due to its primal and untamed characteristics. In contrast, a Monster often steps beyond the realm of the natural world, entering the domain of supernatural or horrific beings, such as vampires or creatures from folklore.
Interestingly, Beast tends to conjure imagery linked to real, tangible animals, sometimes embodying raw or untamed power. On the opposite spectrum, Monster transcends physicality, encapsulating not just fantastical creatures, but also metaphoric manifestations of fears or moral aberrations.
Literature often exploits the term Beast to symbolize unbridled natural forces or an untamed wildness within a character or creature. Conversely, the Monster might symbolize deeper, darker fears and moral lessons, often acting as a metaphor for internal or societal turmoils and atrocities.
In a metaphoric sense, Beast might imply someone with a rugged, unrefined, or unrestrained nature, occasionally even harboring a neutral or positive implication, such as a “beast” in athletic endeavors. In stark contrast, labeling something or someone a Monster generally implies malevolence, danger, or moral misalignment, reflecting a deviation from normativity and goodness.
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
An animal, especially a large or wild one
A frightening fictional creature
Connotation
Often neutral or natural
Typically negative or scary
Reality Basis
Tends to be real and tangible
Often mythical or exaggerated
Moral/Emotional Weight
Can be neutral or positive
Generally negative
Symbolic Use
Wildness, natural force
Fear, moral aberration
Compare with Definitions
Beast
A large or dangerous animal.
The lion is often called the king of beasts.
Monster
A mythical creature that is large or frightening.
The dragon was a fire-breathing monster.
Beast
A crude or unrefined person.
He acted like a beast during the argument.
Monster
Someone who acts with great cruelty.
The tyrant was a monster to his subjects.
Beast
A representation of a figurative wild or unruly force.
The storm was a beast, tearing through the town.
Monster
An aberration in form or function.
The tomato grew into a monster with its unusual shape.
Beast
An adjective describing prowess or skill.
The athlete was a beast on the field.
Monster
A large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature
A monster with the head of a hyena and hindquarters of a wolf
A world of fable, inhabited by other-worldly monsters
Beast
An animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one
A wild beast
Monster
A thing of extraordinary or daunting size
This is a monster of a book, almost 500 pages
A monster 36lb carp
Beast
An animal other than a human, especially a large four-footed mammal.
Monster
A congenitally malformed or mutant animal or plant.
Beast
Animal nature as opposed to intellect or spirit
An insult that brought out the beast in him.
Monster
Criticize or reprimand severely
My mum used to monster me for coming home so late
Beast
A very large or powerful person or thing
Drives a beast of a truck.
Monster
An imaginary or legendary creature, such as a centaur or Harpy, that combines parts from various animal or human forms.
Beast
Something of a specified kind
Her latest film is an odd beast.
Monster
A creature having a strange or frightening appearance.
Beast
A brutal, contemptible person.
Monster
(Archaic) An organism that has structural defects or deformities.
Beast
Any animal other than a human; usually only applied to land vertebrates, especially large or dangerous four-footed ones.
Monster
(Informal) A very large animal, plant, or object.
Beast
A domestic animal, especially a bovine farm animal.
Monster
One who inspires horror or disgust
A monster of selfishness.
Beast
A monstrously unusual and dangerous animal.
Monster
(Informal) Extremely large; monstrous
A monster hit at the box office.
Ate a monster steak.
Beast
A person who behaves in a violent, antisocial or uncivilized manner.
Monster
A terrifying and dangerous creature. Category:en:Horror
Beast
(slang) Anything regarded as larger or more powerful than one of its normal size or strength.
That is a beast of a stadium.
The subwoofer that comes with this set of speakers is a beast.
Monster
A bizarre or whimsical creature.
The children decided Grover was a cuddly monster.
Beast
(slang) Someone who is particularly impressive, especially athletically or physically.
Monster
A cruel, heartless, or antisocial person, especially a criminal.
Get away from those children, you meatheaded monster!
Beast
A sex offender.
Monster
A severely deformed person.
Beast
(figuratively) Something unpleasant and difficult.
Monster
(figuratively) A badly behaved child, a brat.
Sit still, you little monster!
Beast
A thing or matter, especially a difficult or unruly one.
Monster
(informal) Something unusually large.
Have you seen those powerlifters on TV? They're monsters.
Beast
To impose arduous exercises, either as training or as punishment.
Monster
(informal) A prodigy; someone very talented in a specific domain.
That dude playing guitar is a monster.
Beast
To engage in sexual intercourse, particularly in an illicit context
That teacher is under investigation for beasting wee 'uns.
Monster
(gaming) A non-player character that player(s) fight against in role-playing games.
Beast
Great; excellent; powerful
Monster
(informal) Very large; worthy of a monster.
He has a monster appetite.
Beast
Any living creature; an animal; - including man, insects, etc.
Monster
(informal) Great; very good; excellent.
Beast
Any four-footed animal, that may be used for labor, food, or sport; as, a beast of burden.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast.
Monster
(transitive) To make into a monster; to categorise as a monster; to demonise.
Beast
Any animal other than a human; - opposed to man.
'Tain't a fit night out for man nor beast.
Monster
(intransitive) To behave as a monster to; to terrorise.
Beast
Fig.: A coarse, brutal, filthy, or degraded fellow.
Monster
To harass.
Beast
A game at cards similar to loo.
Monster
To play (a series of) non-player characters as directed, without having the responsibility of organising the game itself; generally not limited to playing literal monsters or hostile combatants.
Are you monstering that event?
Beast
A penalty at beast, omber, etc. Hence: To be beasted, to be beaten at beast, omber, etc.
Monster
Something of unnatural size, shape, or quality; a prodigy; an enormity; a marvel.
A monster or marvel.
Beast
A living organism characterized by voluntary movement
Monster
Specifically , an animal or plant departing greatly from the usual type, as by having too many limbs.
Beast
A cruelly rapacious person
Monster
Any thing or person of unnatural or excessive ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty.
Beast
An object or thing that is large or impressive.
His new truck is a beast.
Monster
Monstrous in size.
Monster
Enormous or very powerful.
Monster
To make monstrous.
Monster
An imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts
Monster
Someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful
Monster
A person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed
Monster
A cruel wicked and inhuman person
Monster
(medicine) a grossly malformed and usually nonviable fetus
Monster
A thing or event of abnormally large size.
The company has become a monster in the industry.
Monster
A cruel or wicked person.
The criminal was described as a monster in court.
Common Curiosities
Can Beast have a positive connotation?
Yes, such as describing someone excelling ("He's a beast at basketball").
Is a Monster always imaginary?
No, it can describe real entities metaphorically, indicating malevolence or immorality.
Is Beast used to describe mythical creatures?
Less commonly. Beasts are usually real, though they may have mythical or symbolic implications.
Can an event be described as a Beast?
Yes, especially if it's forceful or impactful, like a "beast of a storm."
Can a Monster represent concepts or non-tangible things?
Yes, it can symbolize fears, moral failings, or any large or scary metaphorical “entity.”
Can Beast imply supernatural characteristics?
Less commonly, it usually pertains to the natural world but can have symbolic connotations.
Can someone be described as a Beast without implying cruelty?
Yes, it might imply physical prowess or skill without moral judgment.
Can a friendly creature be a Monster?
Typically, no, but creative works might subvert this for unique characterizations.
Can Monster have a non-negative meaning?
Rarely. It usually carries a negative connotation, but can be neutral when discussing size.
Does Beast always refer to animals?
Often, but not always. It can describe people or objects metaphorically.
Is Monster related to moral judgments?
Often, yes. Monsters typically symbolize moral deviations or evoke fear and disgust.
Is Monster often used in horror genres?
Yes, monsters are frequent figures symbolizing fear and otherness in horror.
Can a person's actions be described as a Beast?
Not commonly. A person might act like a beast, but their actions per se aren't labeled thus.
Do all cultures have concepts of Beasts and Monsters?
Yes, most cultures have their own mythologies and narratives involving such entities.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
