beast

/biːst/ (bre, ipa) · /biːst/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbēst/ (ame, mw)

beast — noun

1. an animal, usually one seen as large, dangerous, or living in the wild

1.名詞B2
釋義

an animal, usually one seen as large, dangerous, or living in the wild

例句

At dawn, a wounded beast came out of the trees.

dramatic use for a wild animal

The farmer heard a heavy beast moving behind the stone wall.

同義詞
  • animal

    the neutral everyday word

  • creature

    broader and sometimes softer or more literary

  • brute

    stresses strength and can sound more forceful

反義詞

文法句型

wild beast

a wounded beast

a caged beast

用法筆記

Usually sounds stronger and less neutral than animal. It is common in stories, hunting, and dramatic description, rather than for ordinary pets or farm animals.

常見錯誤

❌My sister has a cute beast at home.
✅My sister has a cute pet at home.
💡beast usually suggests a wild, dangerous, or rough animal, not a friendly pet.

2. a person who behaves in a very cruel, rough, or nasty way

2.名詞C1
釋義

a person who behaves in a very cruel, rough, or nasty way

例句

Everyone called the prison guard a beast after the beatings.

pattern: call somebody a beast

Pia was a beast to his little brother all summer.

be a beast to somebody

同義詞
  • monster

    even stronger and more emotional

  • brute

    stresses rough or violent behaviour

  • bully

    focuses on hurting or frightening weaker people

反義詞

文法句型

call somebody a beast

be a beast to somebody

become a beast

用法筆記

A strong insult, usually used in anger about someone's treatment of other people. Distinguish from sense 3, which is about a difficult thing or situation rather than a person's character.

常見錯誤

❌Our math teacher is a beast because she gives long homework.
✅Our math teacher is strict because she gives a lot of homework.
💡beast is much harsher and suggests cruelty, not simply being demanding.

3. a thing or situation that is very unpleasant or extremely hard to control, finis

3.名詞C1
釋義

a thing or situation that is very unpleasant or extremely hard to control, finish, or understand

例句

This tax form is a beast if you run your own shop.

informal use for a hard task

Getting the old engine started in winter was a beast.

同義詞
  • nightmare

    stresses how unpleasant or frustrating something is

  • headache

    suggests a problem that keeps causing trouble

  • monster

    can also describe something unusually difficult or large

反義詞
  • breeze

    informal for something very easy to do

文法句型

be a beast

a beast of a job

beast to deal with

用法筆記

Informal. Often used about jobs, machines, forms, journeys, or other things that seem to fight back in some way. Distinguish from sense 2, which is an insult for a person.

常見錯誤

❌The new sofa is a beast in the living room.
✅The new sofa is huge in the living room.
💡this sense suggests something hard to manage or unpleasant, not simply large.