mōnstrum
neuter
The English phrase monster is mōnstrum in Latin. Wiktionary also lists bēlua.
Meaning: terrifying dangerous creature (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | Note |
|---|---|
| mōnstrum | neuter |
| bēlua | feminine |
A monster is a terrifying dangerous creature.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun mōnstrum is etymologically related to the verb monere, meaning 'to warn', implying a monster is a divine sign or warning.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the neuter mōnstrum is mōnstra. The genitive singular form of mōnstrum is mōnstrī.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of mōnstrum is also the ancestor of the English word 'demonstrate', as both involve 'showing' or 'pointing out' something.
- In the Roman mindset, a mōnstrum was not always a biological beast, but could be a miraculous or unnatural event, like a comet or a strange birth, that signaled a change in fate.
- Roman law sometimes treated a mōnstrum as a 'prodigium', a phenomenon that required a specific religious ritual to neutralize the bad luck it brought to the city.
Examples in context
- Draco erat terribilis bestia, quae omnes homines timere faciebat.The dragon was a terrible beast that made humans fear.
- Jupiter Herculem misit, ut belluam vastam superaret.Jupiter sent Hercules to overcome the vast monster.
- Homo ille tam belua est, ut nemo cum eo vivere possit.That person is so unreasonable that nobody can live with him.
- Mōnstrum in silvā habitat.A monster lives in the forest.
- Vidēmus mōnstrum magnum.We see a large monster.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a scary drawing.
- QuintusEcce, mōnstrum terribile!Look, a terrible monster!
- ClaudiaUbi est mōnstrum, Quinte?Where is the monster, Quintus?
- QuintusEst in pictūrā.It is in the picture.
- ClaudiaIta, valdē terribile est.Yes, it is very scary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monster” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
