monstrous
1 of 2adjective
mon·strous ˈmän(t)-strəs 
1
: having extraordinary often overwhelming size : gigantic
stuffing a monstrous sandwich down his throat
Mike Flaherty
Mike Flahertya monstrous skyscraper
2
a
: extraordinarily ugly or vicious : horrible
a monstrous crime
monstrous mayhem
b
: shockingly wrong or ridiculous
the legend assumed monstrous proportions Louis Untermeyer
Louis Untermeyera monstrous miscalculation
3
: deviating greatly from the natural form or character : abnormal
a monstrous melon
4
: very great —used as an intensive
a monstrous hammering on his door G. D. Browna monstrous hangover
G. D. Browna monstrous hangover5
a
: having the qualities or appearance of a monster
came face to face with a monstrous creature Lester David
Lester David b
obsolete : teeming with monsters
6
obsolete : strange, unnatural
monstrously adverb
monstrousness noun
monstrous
2 of 2adverb
chiefly dialectal
: very, extremely
a monstrous long raft Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Synonyms
Adjective
- deformed
- distorted
- malformed
- misshapen
- shapeless
Adverb
- achingly
- almighty
- archly
- awful
- awfully
- badly
- beastly
- blisteringly
- bone
- colossally
- corking
- cracking
- damn
- damned
- dang
- deadly
- desperately
- eminently
- enormously
- especially
- ever
- exceedingly
- exceeding
- extra
- extremely
- fabulously
- fantastically
- far
- fiercely
- filthy
- frightfully
- full
- greatly
- heavily
- highly
- hugely
- immensely
- incredibly
- intensely
- jolly
- majorly
- mightily
- mighty
- mortally
- most
- much
- particularly
- passing
- rattling
- real
- really
- right
- roaring
- roaringly
- seriously
- severely
- so
- sore
- sorely
- spanking
- specially
- stinking
- such
- super
- supremely
- surpassingly
- terribly
- that
- thumping
- too
- unco
- uncommonly
- vastly
- very
- vitally
- way
- whacking
- wicked
- wildly
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective It was monstrous of him to keep the truth from them all those years. a monstrous melon that was clearly not fit to eat Adverb a monstrous pretty gal, she was
Recent Examples on the Web Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 But her visions for a better world often bend back toward the monstrous. WIRED, 26 Aug. 2022 To be categorically clear, there cannot be any moral equivalency between a monstrous and sanguinary apostle of death like Al-Zawahiri and the supreme champion of free speech, Salman Rushdie. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Which is a way of saying that Mr. Murakami is the master of an aspect of current Japanese visual culture: pushing the cute into the monstrous. Peter Plagens, WSJ, 13 Aug. 2022 The phone bills were monstrous; at several points, Donnie had to borrow money from Simon to cover them. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 26 May 2022 Walsh’s gallery of rogues, from the lovable to the monstrous, was the most colorful in the business. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 Of course, this is Stranger Things, where body horror is par for the course, so naturally the evil telepathic creature who preys on the innermost fears and demons of his victims is just as monstrous on the outside. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 3 July 2022 Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the story of a group of immortal superheroes who reemerge from the shadows to protect humans from the monstrous Deviants. cleveland, 8 Sep. 2021 See More
Adjective
Goth’s ability to bring to life a character made monstrous by envy. Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 But her visions for a better world often bend back toward the monstrous. WIRED, 26 Aug. 2022 To be categorically clear, there cannot be any moral equivalency between a monstrous and sanguinary apostle of death like Al-Zawahiri and the supreme champion of free speech, Salman Rushdie. Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 17 Aug. 2022 Which is a way of saying that Mr. Murakami is the master of an aspect of current Japanese visual culture: pushing the cute into the monstrous. Peter Plagens, WSJ, 13 Aug. 2022 The phone bills were monstrous; at several points, Donnie had to borrow money from Simon to cover them. Susan Orlean, The New Yorker, 26 May 2022 Walsh’s gallery of rogues, from the lovable to the monstrous, was the most colorful in the business. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 Of course, this is Stranger Things, where body horror is par for the course, so naturally the evil telepathic creature who preys on the innermost fears and demons of his victims is just as monstrous on the outside. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 3 July 2022 Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the story of a group of immortal superheroes who reemerge from the shadows to protect humans from the monstrous Deviants. cleveland, 8 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6
Adverb
1569, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
monstrous
adjective
mon·strous ˈmän-strəs
1
: unusually large : enormous
He has a monstrous appetite.
2
: very bad or wrong
a monstrous injustice
3
: very ugly, cruel, or vicious
a monstrous creature
monstrous 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in distorted
badly or imperfectly formed a monstrous melon that was clearly not fit to eat Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- distorted
- misshapen
- mutant
- deformed
- shapeless
- malformed
- ugly
- horrible
- terrible
- freakish
- horrific
- crooked
- abnormal
- disfigured
- aberrant
- disproportionate
- unequal
- lopsided
- asymmetrical
- unbalanced
- irregular
- unattractive
- defaced
- asymmetric
- nonsymmetrical
- overbalanced
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- perfect
- shapely
- flawless
- undeformed
2
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent the monstrous measures taken by the dictator against anyone who opposed his regime Synonyms & Similar Words
- gruesome
- horrific
- shocking
- nightmare
- horrible
- hideous
- terrible
- terrifying
- horrifying
- frightening
- dreadful
- terrific
- ghastly
- awful
- nightmarish
- horrid
- appalling
- grisly
- scary
- horrendous
- frightful
- sickening
- macabre
- disgusting
- atrocious
- lurid
- grotesque
- formidable
- loathsome
- ugly
- fearsome
- intimidating
- fearful
- obscene
- alarming
- abominable
- heinous
- repulsive
- odious
- unspeakable
- grewsome
- abhorrent
- revolting
- vile
- repugnant
- evil
- direful
- obnoxious
- deplorable
- dire
- forbidding
- disagreeable
- nauseating
- redoubtable
- offensive
- bloodcurdling
- noxious
- gut-wrenching
- hair-raising
- distasteful
- heart-stopping
- noisome
- unsightly
- foul
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- delightful
- delicious
- attractive
- delectable
- pleasant
- satisfying
- enticing
- welcome
- appealing
- agreeable
- enjoyable
- pleasurable
- pleasing
- inviting
- comforting
- soothing
- cheering
3
as in gigantic
unusually large a monstrous tomato as big as a basketball Synonyms & Similar Words
- gigantic
- huge
- giant
- enormous
- vast
- massive
- tremendous
- colossal
- mammoth
- monster
- immense
- monumental
- titanic
- astronomical
- bumper
- mighty
- mountainous
- gargantuan
- big
- sizable
- humongous
- heroic
- astronomic
- great
- prodigious
- cosmic
- grand
- oversize
- oceanic
- mega
- herculean
- leviathan
- cyclopean
- elephantine
- humungous
- super
- whopping
- planetary
- oversized
- galactic
- jumbo
- whacking
- majestic
- supersized
- heroical
- considerable
- formidable
- pharaonic
- substantial
- gigantesque
- walloping
- vasty
- staggering
- hulking
- handsome
- good
- cosmical
- supersize
- imposing
- king-sized
- gross
- major
- extensive
- Brobdingnagian
- voluminous
- hefty
- bulky
- super-duper
- stupendous
- outsize
- overgrown
- king-size
- grandiose
- tidy
- largish
- infinite
- Himalayan
- overwhelming
- goodly
- towering
- outsized
- lofty
- cavernous
- monolithic
- sizeable
- august
- immeasurable
- boundless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- tiny
- diminutive
- miniature
- minuscule
- microscopic
- bitty
- infinitesimal
- micro
- small
- puny
- little bitty
- microscopical
- teeny
- pygmy
- wee
- midget
- pocket
- teensy
- smallish
- little
- bantam
- mini
- undersized
- minute
- petite
- microminiature
- undersize
- teeny-weeny
- Lilliputian
- teensy-weensy
- dinky
- dwarfish
- pint-sized
- pint-size
- half-pint
4
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at some monstrous high-rises have begun to spoil that lovely residential neighborhood Synonyms & Similar Words
- ugly
- grotesque
- hideous
- unpleasing
- awful
- disgusting
- vile
- unattractive
- unsightly
- unappealing
- horrible
- unlovely
- abominable
- loathsome
- uncomely
- unbeautiful
- ill-favored
- unhandsome
- appalling
- homely
- repulsive
- horrid
- sickening
- revolting
- abhorrent
- dreadful
- unpretty
- repugnant
- nauseating
- repellent
- gross
- distasteful
- unshapely
- nauseous
- noisome
- repellant
- plain
- unaesthetic
- unbecoming
- frumpy
- frumpish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- beautiful
- stunning
- handsome
- gorgeous
- ravishing
- attractive
- beauteous
- lovely
- goodly
- aesthetic
- pretty
- cute
- seemly
- fair
- knockout
- comely
- impressive
- esthetic
- fetching
- shapely
- sightly
- taking
- aesthetical
- imposing
- bonny
- esthetical
- well-favored
- good-looking
- drop-dead
- bonnie
- prepossessing
monstrous
2 of 2adverb
as in damned
to a great degree a monstrous pretty gal, she was Synonyms & Similar Words
- damned
- incredibly
- extremely
- damn
- terribly
- very
- that
- highly
- jolly
- badly
- full
- too
- mighty
- real
- severely
- super
- so
- awful
- desperately
- really
- filthy
- wicked
- deadly
- such
- seriously
- wildly
- far
- beastly
- intensely
- greatly
- most
- good and
- exceptionally
- roaring
- stinking
- heavily
- fantastically
- much
- exceeding
- awfully
- especially
- fiercely
- absolutely
- passing
- almighty
- frightfully
- fabulously
- whacking
- immensely
- extra
- rattling
- way
- dang
- bone
- particularly
- supremely
- utterly
- sore
- specially
- thumping
- exceedingly
- corking
- cracking
- hugely
- eminently
- surpassingly
- uncommonly
- remarkably
- a lot
- enormously
- totally
- achingly
- mortally
- unco
- vitally
- vastly
- positively
- spanking
- colossally
- thoroughly
- completely
- roaringly
- sorely
- deeply
- archly
- ever
- blisteringly
- downright
- mightily
- majorly
- wholly
- entirely
- as all get-out
- right
- significantly
- profoundly
- monstrously
- noticeably
- considerably
- radically
- fully
- visibly
- obviously
- purely
- notably
- substantially
- flat-out
- obscenely
- monumentally
- palpably
- markedly
- extensively
- astonishingly
- staggeringly
- altogether
- grandly
- discernibly
- amazingly
- plainly
- excessively
- astronomically
- appreciably
- plentifully
- abundantly
- overmuch
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- little
- somewhat
- slightly
- nominally
- negligibly
- just
- scarcely
- hardly
- barely
- meagerly
- minimally
- scantily
- marginally
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of monstrous are prodigious, stupendous, and tremendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.
the monstrous waste of the project
In some situations, the words prodigious and monstrous are roughly equivalent. However, prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).
made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside
Although the words stupendous and monstrous have much in common, stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.
a stupendous volcanic eruption
The words tremendous and monstrous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.
the tremendous roar of the cataract