monstrous

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɑnstrəs/ UK /ˈmɒnstrəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
shockingly hideous, evil, or wrong; of enormous size

The dictator's monstrous crimes shocked the entire world.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · shockingly hideous, evil,... hideous horrific atrocious heinous gigantic enormous

Opposites

benign humane tiny beautiful

Word family

Forms monstrously

Derived forms monstrouslymonstrousness

Related forms monster monstrosity

Etymology

From Old French monstrueux, from Latin mōnstrōsus, from mōnstrum ('omen, monster'), from monēre ('to warn').

mōnstrōsus Latin mōnstrum Latin monēre Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# monstrous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɑnstrəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɒnstrəs/

## Meanings
1. shockingly hideous, evil, or wrong; of enormous size

## Examples
- The dictator's monstrous crimes shocked the entire world.

## Synonyms
- hideous
- horrific
- atrocious
- heinous
- gigantic
- enormous

## Antonyms
- benign
- humane
- tiny
- beautiful

## Derived Forms
- monstrously
- monstrousness

## Related Forms
- monster
- monstrosity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: mōnstrōsus
- Root: mōnstrum
- Root: monēre

## Etymology
From Old French monstrueux, from Latin mōnstrōsus, from mōnstrum ('omen, monster'), from monēre ('to warn').

## AI Etymology
Monstrous comes from Old French monstrueux, from Latin mōnstrōsus, from mōnstrum ('omen, monster'), from monēre ('to warn'). The etymological trail includes Latin mōnstrōsus, Latin mōnstrum, Latin monēre. The same word family includes monstrously, monstrousness, monster, monstrosity. Its current adjective use means "shockingly hideous, evil, or wrong; of enormous size".

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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