different between scoundrel vs beast

English

Etymology

Possibly related to northern English or Scottish scunner: "to shrink back in fear or loathing" (Encyclopædia Britannica 1911).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ska??nd??l/

Noun

scoundrel (plural scoundrels)

1. A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a person without honour or virtue.

Synonyms

• see also Thesaurus:villain

Derived terms

• scoundrelish, scoundrelly, scoundrelous, scoundrelously

Translations

See also

• Scoundrel in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

English

Alternative forms

• beest (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English beeste, beste, from Old French beste (French bête), from Latin b?stia (“animal, beast”); many cognates – see b?stia.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /bi?st/
• Rhymes: -i?st

Noun

beast (plural beasts)

1. Any animal other than a human; usually only applied to land vertebrates, especially large or dangerous four-footed ones.
2. (more specific) A domestic animal, especially a bovine farm animal.

   • Boxer was an enormous beast, nearly eighteen hands high, and as strong as any two ordinary horses put together.
3. A person who behaves in a violent, antisocial or uncivilized manner.
4. (slang) Anything regarded as larger or more powerful than one of its normal size or strength.

   That is a beast of a stadium.

   The subwoofer that comes with this set of speakers is a beast.

5. (slang) Someone who is particularly impressive, especially athletically or physically.
6. (prison slang, derogatory) A sex offender.
   • 1994, Elaine Player, Michael Jenkins, Prisons After Woolf: Reform Through Riot (page 190)

     Shouts had been heard: 'We're coming to kill you, beasts.' In desperation, Rule 43s had tried to barricade their doors […]
7. (figuratively) Something unpleasant and difficult.
   • 2000, Tom Clancy, The Bear and the Dragon, Berkley (2001), ?ISBN, page 905:

     […] Even unopposed, the natural obstacles are formidable, and defending his line of advance will be a beast of a problem."

   • 2006, Heather Burt, Adam's Peak, Dundurn Press (2006), ?ISBN, page 114:

     He'd be in the hospital a few days — broken collarbone, a cast on his arm, a beast of a headache — but fine.

8. A thing or matter, especially a difficult or unruly one.

Derived terms

• beastly
• minibeast
• saddle beast
• beast of burden

Related terms

• bestial
• bestiary

Translations

See also

• belluine (suppletive adjective)

Derived terms

Related terms

Verb

beast (third-person singular simple present beasts, present participle beasting, simple past and past participle beasted)

1. (Britain, military) to impose arduous exercises, either as training or as punishment.

Adjective

beast (comparative more beast, superlative most beast)

1. (slang, chiefly Midwestern and northeastern US) great; excellent; powerful
   • 1999, "Jason Chue", AMD K6-2 350mhz, FIC VA503+, LGS 64mb PC100 sdram (on newsgroup jaring.pcbase)

     There is another type from Siemens which is the HYB 39S64XXX(AT/ATL) -8B version (notice the "B" and the end) which is totally beast altogether.

Anagrams

• Bates, Sebat, abets, baste, bates, beats, besat, betas, esbat, tabes

Middle English

Noun

beast

1. Alternative form of beeste