monster 1 of 2

noun

ˈmän(t)-stər How to pronounce monster (audio)
Definition of monsternext
1
as in demon
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature both children insisted that their parents check under the bed for monsters every night

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2
as in anomaly
a person, thing, or event that is far from normal the gardener destroyed all of the monsters that mutated from his tomato plants

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3
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person the guards at the concentration camps were monsters who enjoyed seeing their victims suffer

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4
as in giant
something large of its kind a monster of a sandwich that could easily feed two hearty eaters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

monster

2 of 2

adjective

as in gigantic
unusually large a monster truck competition

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monster
Noun
In the movie, a group of teens accidentally release a bunch of monsters from Stine’s book collection, creating complete havoc and plenty of great family-friendly frights. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 Cullen also came up with the scary clicking sounds that emerged from the mouth of the monster in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring Predator in 1987. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The fourth line had a monster game against the Blue Jackets. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 14 Apr. 2026 Parkinson stands 6-foot-7 and had monster red-zone production in 2025, which would offer a dimension that the Broncos haven’t had at tight end since the days of Julius Thomas. — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for monster
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monster
  1. demon
  2. anomaly
  3. villain
  4. giant
  5. gigantic
  6. grotesque
  7. mutation
  8. brute
Noun
  • And Elwood was battling his own demons, having become addicted to opioids prescribed after a hip operation.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • As told in the Devi Mahatmya, the gods are beset by the demon (asura) Mahishasura, who received a boon that he cannot be killed by a man—but he can be killed by a woman.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of demon
Noun
  • If a camera spots an anomaly — the wrong gasket installed on an oven, for example — the system will shut that part of the line down and start playing loud music.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Those data will either reveal this one event to be an anomaly or uncover more like it.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of anomaly
Noun
  • Hailing from London as the son of hardscrabble fruit sellers, Winstone was often asked to channel his rough-and-tumble upbringing and pre-acting career as a boxer into mobster and villain roles.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Standing in his way is a mysterious villain intent on his destruction.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Additional study of the hexagon and now a decagon could help astronomers compare formations on the opposite ends of Saturn and learn more about a gas giant's weather patterns, according to NASA.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • As legislation is introduced at a record pace, shifting political views are driving more proposals that seek to restrict the tech giants.
    — Chris Hacker, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of giant
Adjective
  • Steinem, who struggled with stage fright most of her life, talked with women at gigantic conferences and in intimate kaffeeklatsches.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But chaos ensues when Nick and Troy hijack one of those parade vehicles that just happens to be equipped with a gigantic nuclear bomb.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of gigantic
Noun
  • The grotesque offers a reprieve—if not liberation, then at least a means of expression.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • The idea behind [the brand] actually came from my graduation thesis on the concept of the grotesque.
    — Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Definition of grotesque
Noun
  • In people with the natural mutation, every cell in the body has the deactivated ANGPTL3 gene.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • High doses of radiation damage DNA and can cause mutations that lead to cancer.
    — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutation
Noun
  • Most sportsmen wonder how any whitetail bucks, let alone a brute such as Kontras’, could have been so easily patterned.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The show’s depiction of Hugh as a family man has been much more sympathetic than the book’s description of him as a power-hungry brute.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of brute

Phrases Containing monster

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monsoons
monster
monsters
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Cite this Entry

“Monster.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monster. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on monster

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monster

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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