Synonym Chooser

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 While her passion for her husband is tame, her screams for Dickinson’s character are bestial and overwhelming. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024 Pain was also inflicted on the dog deliberately during these bestial acts. Kc Baker, People.com, 4 Mar. 2025 Eggers certainly loves the guy, and Skarsgård’s ultra-committed performance allows the film to enjoy a contagious pleasure in returning the vampire archetype to its more bestial origins. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024 The rape/bestial fetish is framed as a fantasy imagined by a woman, curiously beginning as an assault. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 31 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for bestial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bestial
Adjective
  • In his work at the Stanford Center on Stress and Health, Spiegel has shown that hypnosis can lower pain, regulate stress responses, and help reorient goal-setting through mental framing, not brute force.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • The truth is, most phones get compromised not by brute force, but by everyday tricks that prey on users' habits and software gaps.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • Read more: 49ers Reveal Significant Injury Update on Brandon Aiyuk Ahead of his first season as the Vikings' starter, McCarthy has been hit with a brutal prediction.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
  • The Eastern Conference is wide open after the brutal injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs, and now the Knicks are saddled with the expectations of excellence.
    Tom Rende, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Access has never been restricted to the feral cats.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 11 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, feral cats decimated native bird populations and preyed heavily on the Socorro blue lizard.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bestial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bestial. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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