rhizoverbBeta
Dictionarybestialanimal-like brutality
adjective

bestial

BES-chul/ˈbestʃəl/

Savage or brutal like a wild animal.

The attacker's bestial cruelty leaves the defenseless person cowering beneath the raised stool.

A visibly savage, one-sided attack: an adult raises a wooden stool to strike a defenseless person curled on the floor, whose open hands plead for the attack to stop.
Etymology
bestiLatinbeast, wild animal
+alLatinrelating to

Originally meaning “belonging to a beast,” bestial shifted to describing human behavior as beast-like. Its cruel or savage sense reflects a judgment that such behavior falls below human dignity.

In context

Weird History2:59
Ancient writers like Ammianus Marcellinus painted the Huns as bestial savages and thought the mass migrations they caused contributed to the eventual fall
Most Terrifying Warriors Throughout History

More examples

  • The story portrays a ruler of bestial brutality.
  • His bestial rage terrifies the household.
  • The witness describes the attackers' bestial behavior.

Similar words

brutal
Emphasizes extreme violence or lack of compassion.
savage
Suggests fierce, uncontrolled violence or cruelty.