What does monstrous mean?
Word: Monstrous
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Monstrous means very large and frightening, like a monster. It can also describe behaviour that is shockingly wrong or unfair.
Synonyms: enormous, hideous, outrageous, dreadful
Antonyms: fair, kind
Word origin: Comes from Old French monstrueux and Latin monstruosus, from monstrum, a marvel or a monster.
How do you spell monstrous?
Syllables: mon - strous
Tricky part: Monster has er, but the adjective drops that e. Many students keep it because they can hear the word monster inside.
Watch out for: monsterous, monstorous
Memory tip: Picture the monster shaking off its little e as it grows into the longer adjective, so the r follows the t straight away.
Monstrous in a sentence
Example 1: Monstrous waves crashed over the sea wall at Marine Drive during the monsoon.
Example 2: Mum said it was monstrous that the park had stayed locked to children all summer.
Example 3: In the cartoon, a monstrous lizard climbs a tower and roars at the city below.
Fun Fact
The Latin monstrum is linked to the verb monere, to warn: the Romans read a strange birth or creature as a warning sign from the gods. Monitor and admonish grew from the same verb.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
monstr______
a) ous
b) ious
c) uous
d) ose
Show answer
a) ous. Say it in two beats, mon-strous: the second one closes with the same -ous as famous and nervous.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
tonsumros
a) quiet, shy and easily embarrassed
b) slow, heavy and awkward to move about
c) full of warm praise for someone
d) startling because it is far beyond the normal size or limit
Show answer
d) startling because it is far beyond the normal size or limit. Put mon at the front and the nine letters fall into place as monstrous.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with the word closest in meaning:
1. monstrous 2. obstinate 3. frugal a. scandalous b. thrifty c. stubborn
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. Closest in meaning: a monstrous, shockingly unfair rule is scandalous, an obstinate child is stubborn, and a frugal family is thrifty.
Word Champ
Which of the given statements are true?
1. A monstrous sandcastle is an extremely large one. 2. A boisterous class sits in complete silence. 3. A placid lake is calm and still.
a) only 2
b) all three are true
c) only 1 and 2
d) only 1 and 3
Show answer
d) only 1 and 3. Boisterous children are noisy and lively, so statement 2 is false; the other two are true.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A reporter writes that the queue outside the ticket office was monstrous. What does she mean?
a) It moved very quickly
b) It was badly behaved
c) It was mostly children
d) It was extremely long
Show answer
d) It was extremely long
2. In which phrase does monstrous mean shockingly unfair rather than huge?
a) a monstrous pumpkin at the village fair
b) a monstrous traffic jam on the highway
c) a monstrous pile of unwashed laundry
d) a monstrous fee for a five-minute bus ride
Show answer
d) a monstrous fee for a five-minute bus ride
