Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Extremely and shockingly wrong, evil, or cruel: Describing actions, behaviors, or events that are profoundly immoral, wicked, or brutal.
   • Abnormally and frighteningly large in size or scale: Describing something of huge, often terrifying, dimensions.
   • Having a frightening, unnatural, or ugly appearance: Describing a shape or form that is distorted, grotesque, or hideous.

Examples of Usage

• Describing cruelty or evil:
  • The dictator was responsible for monstrous acts against his own people.
  • The jury was horrified by the monstrous details of the crime.
• Describing abnormal size:
  • A monstrous wave crashed against the shore, threatening the village.
  • They discovered the skeleton of a monstrous creature in the cave.
• Describing unnatural appearance:
  • The tree had taken on a monstrous shape after years of exposure to the harsh winds.
  • In his nightmare, he was chased by a figure of monstrous proportions.

Advanced Usage

• "monstrous injustice/regime": Used to emphasize the extreme and shocking nature of an unfair situation or governing power.
  • The court's decision was a monstrous injustice.
• "a monstrous lie": A falsehood of shocking scale or audacity.
  • The propaganda spread by the regime was a monstrous lie.

Variants and Related Words

• Monstrosity (noun): Something that is monstrous, especially in appearance.
  • The new building was widely criticized as an architectural monstrosity.
• Monster (noun): An imaginary creature that is large and frightening, or a person who is exceptionally cruel or wicked.
  • The story was about a monster that lived under the bridge.

Synonyms

• Atrocious: Extremely wicked, brutal, or cruel.
• Grievous: Very serious or severe (often for mistakes or crimes).
• Grotesque: Comically or repulsively ugly or distorted.
• Gargantuan: Enormous, of immense size.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "a monstrous failure": A failure of spectacularly bad proportions.
  • The product launch was a monstrous failure, costing the company millions.
• "monstrous appetite": An extremely large capacity for eating.
  • After the marathon, he had a monstrous appetite.

Adjective

1. distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous
   • tales of grotesque serpents eight fathoms long that churned the seas
   • twisted into monstrous shapes
2. shockingly brutal or cruel
   • murder is an atrocious crime
   • a grievous offense against morality
   • a grievous crime
   • no excess was too monstrous for them to commit
3. abnormally large