Oxford Essential Dictionary
monster
noun
an animal in stories that is big, ugly and frightening
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
monster
I. mon‧ster1 /ˈmɒnstə $ ˈmɑːnstər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: French; Origin: monstre, from Latin monstrum 'warning, monster', from monere 'to warn']
1. IN STORIES an imaginary or ancient creature that is large, ugly, and frightening:
the remains of a prehistoric monster
the search for the Loch Ness Monster
2. CRUEL PERSON someone who is very cruel and evil:
Only a monster could kill all those women.
3. CHILD a small child, especially one who is behaving badly – used humorously:
I’ve got to get home and feed this little monster.
4. SOMETHING LARGE informal an object, animal etc that is unusually large:
Did you see the fish Dad caught? It was a monster!
There’s a monster of a spider in the bath!
5. DANGEROUS PROBLEM a dangerous or threatening problem, especially one that develops gradually and is difficult to manage
II. monster2 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
informal unusually large SYN giant:
a monster cat
The song was a monster hit.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
monster
mon·ster [monster monsters] noun, adjective [ˈmɒnstə(r)] [ˈmɑːnstər]
noun
1. (in stories) an imaginary creature that is very large, ugly and frightening
• a monster with three heads
• prehistoric monsters
2. an animal or a thing that is very large or ugly
• Their dog's an absolute monster!
3. a person who is very cruel and evil
4. (humorous) a child who behaves badly
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French monstre, from Latin monstrum ‘portent or monster’, from monere ‘warn’.
Example Bank:
• He wanted to fight the monster of poverty.
• I wanted to fight these monsters: I didn't want to go on living with them.
• The government has created a bureaucratic monster.
• The tabloid papers labelled him ‘an evil sex monster’.
• What sort of inhuman monster could do such a thing?
• a barren wilderness inhabited by monsters
• cheap sci-fi films with bug-eyed monsters
• The man is a monster; he terrifies me.
adjective only before noun (informal)
unusually large
Syn: giant
• monster mushrooms
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French monstre, from Latin monstrum ‘portent or monster’, from monere ‘warn’.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
monster / ˈmɒn.stə r / / ˈmɑːn.stɚ / noun [ C ] (CREATURE)
B1 any imaginary frightening creature, especially one that is large and strange:
a sea monster
prehistoric monsters
the Loch Ness monster
monster / ˈmɒn.stə r / / ˈmɑːn.stɚ / noun [ C ] (PERSON)
C2 a cruel and frightening person:
You'd have to be a monster to hit a child like that.
monster / ˈmɒn.stə r / / ˈmɑːn.stɚ / noun [ C ] informal (LARGE)
something that is very big, or too big:
You should have seen the onions he grew for the competition - they were monsters!
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
monster
[mɒ̱nstə(r)]
monsters
1) N-COUNT A monster is a large imaginary creature that looks very ugly and frightening.
2) N-COUNT A monster is something which is extremely large, especially something which is difficult to manage or which is unpleasant.
...the monster which is now the London marathon.
...the monster of apartheid.
3) ADJ: ADJ n (emphasis) Monster means extremely and surprisingly large. [INFORMAL]
...a monster weapon...
The film will be a monster hit.
Syn:
giant
4) N-COUNT If you describe someone as a monster, you mean that they are cruel, frightening, or evil.
Syn:
fiend
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1mon·ster /ˈmɑːnstɚ/ noun, pl -sters [count]
1 : a strange or horrible imaginary creature
• mythical monsters
• a sea monster
• a monster movie [=a movie about monsters]
2 informal : something that is extremely or unusually large
• That car is a monster.
• It's a monster of a house. [=a very large house]
3 : a powerful person or thing that cannot be controlled and that causes many problems
• Inflation has become an economic monster.
4 a : an extremely cruel or evil person
• His father was a monster who punished his children for no reason.
• You don't want to work for that monster.
b : a person (such as a child) who behaves very badly
• My nephew is a little monster.
- see also green-eyed monster