animal
/ˈænəməl/
nounadjective
Core
1.n.a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
2.adj.marked by the appetites and passions of the body
“animal instincts”
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animal and beast share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. animal means “a living organism characterized by voluntary movement”. beast means “a living organism characterized by voluntary movement”. animal is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈænəməl/
1.n.a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
2.adj.marked by the appetites and passions of the body
“animal instincts”
/ˈbist/
1.n.a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
2.n.a cruelly rapacious person
| animal | beast | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈænəməl/ | /ˈbist/ |
| Said | AN-uh-muhl | beest |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | noun, adjective | noun |
| Senses | 2 | 2 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | animate being, beast, brute | animal, animate being, brute |
Full entry for animal · Full entry for beast · More comparisons