beast
/biːst/noun, verb, adjective
beast is spelled B-E-A-S-T: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,365th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, beast means “Any four-footed land mammal” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of beast is beasts.
How many letters and syllables are in beast?
| Letters | 5: B-E-A-S-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 19 times per million words; the 4,365th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is beast?
Beast appears 19 times per million words in written English, the 4,365th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce beast?
- US /biːst/
Beast has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-beast.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with beast?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as beast from its last stressed vowel (/ist/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: beats, baste, tabes.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of beast
- beasts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- beasting participle, present
- beasted participle, past
- more beast comparative
- most beast superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does beast mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any four-footed land mammal.
- 2
All non-human animals seen as a group.
Language is what separates man and beast.
- 3
A person who behaves in a violent, antisocial or uncivilized manner.
- 4
UKA domestic animal, especially a bovine farm animal.
- 5
A monstrously unusual and dangerous animal.
- 6
slangAnything regarded as larger or more powerful than one of its normal size or strength.
That is a beast of a stadium.
- 7
slangSomeone who is particularly impressive, especially athletically or physically.
- 8
derogatoryslangA sex offender.
verb
- 1
UKTo impose arduous exercise upon, either as training or as punishment.
- 2
UKslangTo bully or harass.
- 3
ScotlandslangTo engage in sexual intercourse with, particularly in an illicit context.
That teacher is under investigation for beasting wee 'uns.
adjective
- 1
slanggreat; excellent; powerful
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Beast in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bête, bête sauvage |
| German | Tier, Bestie , Unmensch, Biest |
| Portuguese | fera, besta |
| Spanish | bestia , fiera , bestial, mostro |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does beast come from?
From Middle English beeste, beste, from Old French beste (French bête), from Latin bēstia (“animal, beast”); many cognates – see bēstia.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).