BESTIAL Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

bestial

adjective

ˈbes-chəl

Definition of bestial next

as in brute

having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal an apocalyptic sci-fi classic in which a lone drifter fights to avoid the bestial existence lived by the mass of survivors

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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

Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office, Musk’s mandate has been to replicate the brute force used to bulldoze Twitter’s workforce following his 2022 acquisition of the social media platform now known as X.

— Liam Reilly, CNN, 7 Feb. 2025
But reclaiming our land demands more than brute force.

— Iuliia Mendel, TIME, 29 Jan. 2025