monster

1. (archaic) A deformed animal or person (especially, a severely deformed one); in previous centuries often taken as an ill omen at the time of its birth. (Offensive when applied to humans in modern usage.)Examples: "The villagers were worried because the weather had been strange and several monsters had been born among the flocks and people."; "Deducting then these cases, we have a large proportion of imperfect foetuses, which belonged to twin conceptions, and in which, therefore, the circulation of the monster may have essentially depended on that of the sound child."; "Cases of twins developed from one ovum, where one twin flourishes at the expense of its less fortunate partner, are not by any means uncommonly met with in veterinary practice. This is evidenced by the fairly frequent descriptions in veterinary periodicals of so-called "moles." It is not, therefore, with the idea of describing any monster of startling newness that I am tempted to record the anatomical peculiarities of one such anomaly; but rather because "moles," as described most commonly in veterinary journals, are viewed from the exterior only; their inner organisation being, for the most part, either ignored entirely, or treated of in a very cavalier manner. No doubt the external form and semblance of any monster is a matter of interest, but alone it is not satisfying; nor, indeed, is it always a trustworthy indication of the most important peculiarities of the organism. The outer architecture of a monster may be entirely misleading if taken too implicitly as a reflex of the internal furnishings. Especially is this the more likely to be the case when the malformation is great."archaic

2. (figuratively, humorous) A badly behaved person, especially a child; a brat.Examples: "Sit still, you little monster!"; "The rest of the day he heard the children playing kick-the-can, hide-and-seek, Over-Annie-Over, jacks, tops, mibs, and the sound of the little monsters in every shrub and shadow would not let him rest."figurativelyhumorous

3. (informal) Something very or unusually large.Examples: "Have you seen those powerlifters on TV? They're monsters."; "Although she, for many years had waged continual war against rheumatism, her pleasant face shone like the full moon from under the white head-gear, while she had protected herself against any possible attack of the enemy by a multiplicity of petticoats and jackets; and as an outer fortification she had put on a monster of a frieze cloak."; "The blacks had faded into the jungle before the weak eyes of the monster had fallen upon any of them, but now he caught the sound of their retreat, and, amid a terrific crashing of underbrush and branches, he charged in the direction of the noise."informal

4. (informal) A prodigy; someone very talented in a specific domain.Examples: "That dude playing guitar is a monster."; "He was a party monster. Able to drink and drug just about any member of the Fleetwood Mac family under the table, he did so with regularity and charm."informal

5. (gaming) A non-player character that player(s) fight against in role-playing games; a mobSynonyms: monstrosity