monster

Meanings

1. 1
   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.

2. 2
   noun

   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.

3. 3
   noun

   A bizarre or whimsical creature.

   The children decided Grover was a cuddly monster.

4. 4
   adj

   Very large; worthy of a monster.

   He has a monster appetite.

5. 5
   adj

   Great; very good; excellent.

   “You did great today,” I told Josh. “You were monster.” “yeah,” he said. “I was monster. Thank you, Charlie.”

6. 6
   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.

7. 7
   verb

   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

8. 8
   verb

   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.

Etymology

From Middle English monstre, from Old French monstre, mostre, moustre, from Latin mōnstrum. Displaced native Old English fīfel and Old English þyrs.