Monstrous
/ˈmɒn.strəs/noun
Extremely large, ugly, frightening, or shockingly bad.
Did you know?Monstrous comes from Latin monstrum, which originally meant a divine portent or omen — something “shown” by the gods as a warning, not merely a creature.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“to think, remember, have in mind”
Latin
Latin
monēre
“to warn, remind, advise”
Latin
Latin
monstrum
“a divine warning, portent, omen; later a strange or unnatural creature”
Old French
Old French
monstruos
“monstrous, unnatural, ugly, terrible”
Middle English
English
monstrous
“unnatural, hideous, dreadful”
Modern English
English
monstrous
“very large, ugly, or shockingly bad”
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