Monsters are imaginary scary creatures that lurk in dark places and horror movies. If it's got 3 heads, shark teeth and lives under your bed, then it's probably a monster.

Monsters are big. Monsters are hairy. And monsters are certainly scary. Think of the Abominable Snow Man, that Loch Ness creature, or even Shrek — even though he's technically an ogre. This word isn't only for the imaginary, though: you could call anything freakish, frightening, or particularly evil a monster, like a cruel murderer or even a really big, violent storm.

Definitions of monster

n an imaginary creature usually having various human and animal parts

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Loch Ness monster
(Norse mythology) the Norse dragon that guarded a treasure and was slain by Sigurd
(Greek mythology) dragon killed by Apollo at Delphi
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bogeyman, booger, boogeyman, bugaboo, bugbear
an imaginary monster used to frighten children
mythical creature, mythical monster
a monster renowned in folklore and myth
legendary creature
a monster that is unverifiable but popularly accepted as possibly factual
(classical mythology) a serpent with a head at each end of its body
Cerberus, hellhound
Chimaera, Chimera
monster hatched by a reptile from a cock's egg; able to kill with a glance
dragon, firedrake
(Greek mythology) a mythical monster with three heads that was slain by Hercules
griffin, griffon, gryphon
monstrous sea creature symbolizing evil in the Old Testament
mantichora, manticora, manticore, mantiger
Nemean lion
mythical bird of prey having enormous size and strength
reptilian creature supposed to live in fire
(Greek mythology) son of Gaea and Tartarus who created the whirlwinds; had a terrifying voice and 100 dragon heads that spurted fire
loup-garou, lycanthrope, werewolf, wolfman
Type of:
imaginary being, imaginary creature

n someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful

behemoth, colossus, giant, goliath
Type of:
anomaly, unusual person
a person who is unusual

n a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed

freak, lusus naturae, monstrosity
the largest or most massive thing of its kind
Type of:
mutant, mutation, sport, variation
(biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration

n a cruel wicked and inhuman person

demon, devil, fiend, ogre
someone who acts as if possessed by a demon
Type of:
disagreeable person, unpleasant person
a person who is not pleasant or agreeable

n (medicine) a grossly malformed and usually nonviable fetus

Type of:
fetus, foetus