i Register
In some senses, monster is marked as figuratively, informal, humorous, UK, British. Watch for register when choosing this word.
noun
A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
O, 'twas a din to fright a monster's ear,/ to make an earthquake.
[T]he monſter [sc. a tiger], rouſed by the noiſe, ſtarted forward, preſented ſuch a viſage of horror, and raiſed ſuch a hideous roar, that the hearts of the bold were contracted, and the nerves of the valiant unſtrung.
A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
Get away from those children, you monster!
I'm not a monster, Tom, well, technically I am / I guess I am...
A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
Sit still, you little monster!
The rest of the day he heard the children playing kick-the-can, hide-and-seek, Over-Annie-Over, jacks, tops, mibs, and the sound of the little monsters in every shrub and shadow would not let him rest.
A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or mythical kind.
That dude playing guitar is a monster.
He was a party monster. Able to drink and drug just about any member of the Fleetwood Mac family under the table, he did so with regularity and charm.
A creature of unnatural or highly unusual shape or form (which makes a frightening or unpleasant impression).
Have you seen those powerlifters on TV? They're monsters.
Although she, for many years had waged continual war against rheumatism, her pleasant face shone like the full moon from under the white head-gear, while she had protected herself against any possible attack of the enemy by a multiplicity of petticoats and jackets; and as an outer fortification she had put on a monster of a frieze cloak.
adj
Very large; worthy of a monster.
He has a monster appetite.
I turned to Jack and said, "It's supposed to be monster."
Great; very good; excellent.
“You did great today,” I told Josh. “You were monster.” “yeah,” he said. “I was monster. Thank you, Charlie.”
Seconds later Nano’s monster throw-in from the left was recycled to the wing-back and, when he produced the most delicious of deliveries, the totally unmarked Lopes drilled home from six yards.
verb
To make into a monster; to categorise as a monster; to demonise.
Animals in our world have been monstered by human action as much as the free beasts of the pre-lapsarian state were monstered by the primal crime.
A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations feature four cases of women monstered by passion. Madame Defarge is ‘a tigress’, Mrs Joe a virago, Molly (Estella′s criminal mother) ‘a wild beast tamed’ and Miss Havisham a witch-like creature, a ghastly combination of waxwork and skeleton.
To behave as a monster to; to terrorise.
In 2002, American interrogators on the ground in Afghanistan developed a technique they called “monstering.” The commander “instituted a new rule that a prisoner could be kept awake and in the booth for as long as an interrogator could last.” One “monstering” interrogator engaged in this for thirty hours.¹⁷⁷
The interrogators asked members of the 377th Military Police Company to help them with monstering, and the MPs complied.
To harass.
Andy Roddick has been monstered by both Federer and Nadal and suffered a 6-2 7-5 7-5 semi-final loss at the hands of the Swiss champion.
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.
Are you monstering that event?
To condemn or reprimand.