bestial

[ bes-chuhl, bees- ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or having the form of a beast:

   the belief that a person could assume bestial form after death;

   the bestial signs of the zodiac.

2. without reason or intelligence; brutal; inhuman:

   bestial treatment of prisoners.

3. beastlike in gratifying one's sensual desires; carnal; debased.

bestial

/ ˈbɛstɪəl /

adjective

1. brutal or savage
2. sexually depraved; carnal
3. lacking in refinement; brutish
4. of or relating to a beast

Derived Forms

• ˈbestially, adverb

Other Words From

• bestial·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of bestial¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, either from Anglo-French or directly from Late Latin bēstiālis ( Latin bēsti(a) beast + -ālis -al ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of bestial¹

C14: from Late Latin bestiālis , from Latin bestia beast

Example Sentences

Who doesn’t have a soft spot for Godzilla and especially the team behind this iteration, which stretched its $15 million budget to create the “most persuasively bestial Godzilla ever filmed.”

From Los Angeles Times

How total is the hold her bestial pops has on her?

From Slate

He said McGowan's attack on Ms Inglis was "brutal and bestial" and he thanked her family for their dignity in court.

From BBC

Putin continued: "In this sense, if they are trying to fight us in some way, it’s good, because it shows who is fighting us. It shows, as they said back in Soviet times, 'the bestial face of American imperialism, the bestial grin'."

From Reuters

Sparkle pony or not, this year proved that even with lavish accommodations like RVs and power drops, Burning Man is a bestial experience — which is apropos considering the theme this year was “Animalia.”

From Los Angeles Times