Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bestial differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bestial are brutal, brutish, and feral. While all these words mean "characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct," bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

In what contexts can brutal take the place of bestial?

The words brutal and bestial can be used in similar contexts, but brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

When is it sensible to use brutish instead of bestial?

While the synonyms brutish and bestial are close in meaning, brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

When can feral be used instead of bestial?

While in some cases nearly identical to bestial, feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

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 bestial The bestial prelude to love comes in many (weird, wild, even mildly horrifying) forms. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 The Beast taps into man’s bestial nature, inviting visitors through Jack the Ripper’s London, the Werewolf Forest and a maze in a medieval castle that defies visitors to find a way out. Robert Trussell, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 Rodin’s Crouching Woman, paired in the exhibit with Claudel’s later work of the same name, is locked in an unlikely, bestial position. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 It’s also built to meet Appendix K FIA regulations for competition, with a period-correct 5.3-liter V-8 that makes appropriately bestial noises. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for bestial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestial
Adjective
  • The United States should never seek to match China’s brute force approach to economic power.
    Steve Bowsher, Foreign Affairs, 24 Feb. 2025
  • This is her answer, in part: In terms of brute force and repression, the grip of the dictatorship in Cuba is as tight as ever.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The free chow was served daily, except on Fridays, and continued through a brutal period of industrywide cost-cutting that persists to this day.
    Katcy Stephan, Variety, 1 Mar. 2025
  • England’s Champions Trophy campaign finally came to a brutal end when they were beaten by South Africa in Karachi by seven wickets with almost 21 overs to spare.
    Tim Ellis, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The likely source, investigators concluded: a playground sandbox that some feral cats used as a litter box.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2025
  • What about feral reactions from fans at the stage door?
    Kate Lloyd, Vogue, 20 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bestial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestial. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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