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monster

/ˈmɑnstɚ/noun, adjective, verb

monster is spelled M-O-N-S-T-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 31 times per million words in written English, the 3,052nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, monster means “A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or fictional kind” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of monster is monsters.

How many letters and syllables are in monster?

Letters7: M-O-N-S-T-E-R
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing31 times per million words; the 3,052nd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is monster?

Monster appears 31 times per million words in written English, the 3,052nd 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 monster?

  • UK /ˈmɒnstə(ɹ)/
  • US /ˈmɑnstɚ/

Monster has 2 syllables (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-au-monster.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of monster

  • monsters plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • monstering participle, present
  • monstered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does monster mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A terrifying and dangerous creature, especially one of an imaginary or fictional kind.

  2. 2

    A cruel, heartless, or antisocial person, especially a criminal.

    Get away from those children, you monster!

  3. 3

    A badly behaved person, especially a child; a brat.

    Sit still, you little monster!

  4. 4

    informalA prodigy; someone very talented in a specific domain.

    That dude playing guitar is a monster.

  5. 5

    informalSomething very or unusually large.

    Have you seen those powerlifters on TV? They're monsters.

  6. 6

    archaicA deformed animal or person (especially, a severely deformed one); in previous centuries often taken as an ill omen at the time of its birth. (Offensive when applied to humans in modern usage.)

    The villagers were worried because the weather had been strange and several monsters had been born among the flocks and people.

  7. 7

    archaicoffensiveA disabled person, especially a physically disabled person.

  8. 8

    A bizarre or whimsical creature.

    The children decided Grover was a cuddly monster.

adjective

  1. 1

    informalVery large; worthy of a monster.

    He has a monster appetite.

  2. 2

    informalGreat; very good; excellent.

verb

  1. 1

    To make into a monster; to categorise as a monster; to demonise.

  2. 2

    To behave as a monster to; to terrorise.

  3. 3

    AustraliaTo harass.

  4. 4

    UKTo play (a series of) non-player characters as directed, without having the responsibility of organising the game itself; generally not limited to playing literal monsters or hostile combatants.

    Are you monstering that event?

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Monster in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchmonstre (terrifying dangerous creature), bête (a prodigy), monstrueux (very large)
GermanMonster, Ungeheuer (terrifying dangerous creature)
Portuguesemonstro (terrifying dangerous creature)
Spanishmonstruo, vestiglo (terrifying dangerous creature), fiera (a prodigy)

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 monster come from?

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

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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