beastly

American  

[beest-lee] / ˈbist li /

adjective

beastlier, beastliest

1. of or like a beast; bestial.

2. Informal. nasty; unpleasant; disagreeable.

   Synonyms:

   disgusting, mean, foul, vile, hateful, abominable

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adverb

1. Chiefly British Informal. very; exceedingly.

   It's beastly cold out.

2. British Informal. disagreeably; outrageously.

   beastly rude.

beastly British  

/ ˈbiːstlɪ /

adjective

1. informal unpleasant; disagreeable; nasty

   beastly weather

2. obsolete of or like a beast; bestial

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adverb

1. informal (intensifier)

   the weather is so beastly hot

Usage

What does beastly mean? Beastly is used to describe a person or behavior that’s nasty, vile, or cruel. The word beast sometimes simply means a large animal, but it’s also often used to refer to a kind of monster. This sense of the word is sometimes used figuratively to refer to a person in a way that likens them to a monster and implies that they behave in a crude, brutish, or animalistic way. This is often what’s implied by the word beastly. Beastly can also mean unpleasant or disagreeable, as in beastly weather. In British English, beastly is sometimes used as an informal intensifier to mean very, extremely, or outrageously, as in It’s beastly cold out there or That was a beastly rude thing to do. In this case, beastly is used as an adverb, rather than an adjective. Example: We condemn this beastly attack and the terrorists who perpetrated it.

Other Word Forms

• beastliness noun

Etymology

Origin of beastly

1175–1225; Middle English beasteliche, later be ( e ) stly. See beast, -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

"We have all the brilliant classic pantomime elements: a beastly baddie, a heroic heroine, amazing dance routines and side-splitting comedy," said Ms Wood.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025

Not long after everyone tumbles into their normal lives again, the beastly debt snarling at their throats sends many running back to the arena either to get rich or die trying.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2025

For centuries, the Greek Gorgon Medusa has been cast as a vicious monster, a beastly woman with writhing snakes for hair and a deadly gaze that turns living creatures to stone.

From New York Times • May 25, 2024

Q: The flu I had after Christmas was beastly, and the medicine my doctor prescribed made me sick.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 26, 2023

“What have you done, you huge beastly thing?”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole