monster

Noun

1. A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
2. A bizarre or whimsical creature.
3. A cruel, heartless, or antisocial person, especially a criminal.
4. (archaic) A deformed animal or person (especially, a severely deformed one); in previous centuries often taken as an ill omen at the time of its birth. (Offensive when applied to humans in modern usage.)
5. (figuratively, humorous) A badly behaved person, especially a child; a brat.
6. (informal) Something very or unusually large.
7. (informal) A prodigy; someone very talented in a specific domain.
8. A non-player character that player(s) fight against in role-playing games; a mob
9. (offensive) A disabled person.

Adj

1. (informal, not-comparable) Very large; worthy of a monster.
2. (informal, not-comparable) Great; very good; excellent.

Verb

1. (transitive) To make into a monster; to categorise as a monster; to demonise.
2. (intransitive) To behave as a monster to; to terrorise.
3. (Australia) To harass.
4. (UK) 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.
5. (British, informal, transitive) To condemn or reprimand.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: monstre

In summary

From Middle English monstre, from Old French monstre, mostre, moustre, from Latin mōnstrum.

Synonyms

demon

ghost

👻

phantom

devil

beast

freak

giant

apparition

goblin

monstrosity

fiend

evil spirit

monstrous

ogre

behemoth

huge

teras

specter

degenerate

colossus

lusus naturae

dragon

🐉

goliath

bogeyman

abortion

fright

spectre

enormous

mutant

gigantic

spirit

mastodon

megatherium

metamorphosis

modification

murderer

mutation

prodigious

prodigy

reptile

sadist

Satan

scarecrow

serpent

siren

strange

stupendous

supernatural

tartar

terrible

Sentences

Suddenly the monster disappeared .