monstrous

/ˈmɒnstrəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːnstrəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmän(t)-strəs/ (ame, mw)

monstrous — 形容詞

  • monstrouspositive
  • more monstrouscomparative
  • most monstroussuperlative

1. so cruel, unfair, or evil that it shocks people and feels far beyond what any de

1.形容詞C1
釋義

殘忍；惡劣

殘酷到令人震驚的

so cruel, unfair, or evil that it shocks people and feels far beyond what any decent person should do.

例句

The soldiers carried out a monstrous attack on the village before dawn.

士兵在黎明前對村莊發動了一場殘忍的攻擊。

monstrous + noun for shocking violence

Roya called the scam a monstrous crime against elderly people living alone.

Roya 說那場騙局是對獨居老人的惡劣罪行。

monstrous + crime for moral condemnation

同義詞
  • appalling

    focuses on causing shock or disgust, often in public judgment.

  • atrocious

    stronger and more formal; often used for brutal crimes or acts.

  • brutal

    emphasizes physical or emotional cruelty more directly than monstrous.

反義詞
  • humane

    showing kindness and concern for other people or animals.

  • just

    fair and morally right, especially in laws or decisions.

文法句型

monstrous + noun (crime/act/injustice/cruelty)

be + monstrous + to-infinitive

用法筆記

Usually describes actions, treatment, or systems that deserve strong moral condemnation, not ordinary mistakes or simple unpleasantness. It often appears with nouns like 'crime,' 'injustice,' 'cruelty,' and 'lie.'

常見錯誤

❌The cafe made a monstrous mistake by forgetting my sugar.
✅The cafe made a serious mistake by forgetting my sugar.
💡'Monstrous' is too strong for an ordinary error; it suggests shocking cruelty or injustice.

2. having a frightening, ugly, or abnormal look that makes it seem more like a nigh

2.形容詞C1
釋義

怪異；駭人

像怪物般醜陋可怕的

having a frightening, ugly, or abnormal look that makes it seem more like a nightmare creature than an ordinary living thing.

例句

The illustrator drew a monstrous bird with six wings and a child's face.

那位插畫家畫了一隻怪異的鳥，長著六隻翅膀和一張孩子的臉。

monstrous + creature with abnormal features

Kemi woke from a dream about a monstrous dog scratching at the window.

Kemi 夢見一隻駭人的狗在抓窗戶，於是驚醒了。

同義詞
  • grotesque

    more formal; stresses distortion and ugliness.

  • hideous

    focuses on extreme ugliness rather than a monster-like form.

  • freakish

    emphasizes abnormality, sometimes without the same dramatic fear.

反義詞
  • normal

    having an ordinary shape or appearance.

  • natural-looking

    appearing ordinary rather than strange or deformed.

文法句型

monstrous + noun (face/shape/creature/statue)

look/seem + monstrous

用法筆記

This sense focuses on appearance or form. It is common in fantasy, horror, and vivid description, where something looks unnaturally ugly, frightening, or deformed. If you only mean 'very large,' use sense 3 instead.

常見錯誤

❌The warehouse looked monstrous because it was very big.
✅The warehouse looked enormous because it was very big.
💡Sense 2 suggests a frightening or unnatural look, not size alone.

3. so big in scale, quantity, or force that it feels excessive and hard to ignore.

3.形容詞C1
釋義

龐大；驚人

大得誇張或超乎尋常的

so big in scale, quantity, or force that it feels excessive and hard to ignore.

例句

Liang paid a monstrous bill after inviting thirty cousins to dinner.

Liang 請三十個表親吃晚餐後，付了一張龐大的帳單。

monstrous + bill for excessive amount

The storm sent a monstrous wave crashing over the harbour wall.

暴風雨掀起一個驚人的巨浪，猛撞上港口的防波牆。

同義詞
  • enormous

    the closest neutral equivalent for very great size or amount.

  • gigantic

    often suggests impressive physical size more than excess amount.

  • immense

    slightly more formal and common with abstract scale as well as physical size.

反義詞
  • tiny

    very small in size.

  • modest

    small or limited in amount, cost, or scale.

文法句型

monstrous + noun (bill/wave/profit/pile/amount)

a monstrous amount of + noun

用法筆記

Often used for size, cost, amount, or strength in a dramatic way. It can describe both physical things and abstract quantities such as profits, bills, or appetites. Distinguish it from sense 2: here the focus is excess size or scale, not a frightening appearance.

常見錯誤

❌The dragon looked monstrous because it had three heads.
✅The dragon looked monstrous because it had three heads and glowing eyes.
💡If you mean ugly and frightening appearance, that is sense 2 rather than sheer size.

monstrous — 副詞