Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One that is monstrous.
  • noun The quality or character of being monstrous.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The state or character of being monstrous, or formed out of the common order of nature; the character of being shocking or horrible.
  • noun An unnatural production; a monster.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The state of being monstrous, or out of the common order of nature; that which is monstrous; a monster.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A plant or animal showing abnormal development or deformity.
  • noun A monstrous thing, person or act.
  • noun The state of being monstrous.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun something hideous or frightful
  • noun a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English monstruosite, from Old French, from Late Latin mōnstrōsitās, from Latin mōnstruōsus, monstrous; see monstrous.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin monstrositas ("monstrousness"), from Latin monstrōsus.

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Examples

  • The presentation of the monstrosity is a challenge to the Irish people of New York which will be taken up.

    Our Irish Theatre: A Chapter of Autobiography 1913

  • Stephen M. Ross, who built the huge two-tower Time Warner Center at the northwest edge of Columbus Circle and tried to foreclose on the Moinian tower - which he described as a monstrosity - walked away, his supporters said, with a $28 million profit, after five months of skirmishing.

    NYT > Home Page By ANDY NEWMAN 2011

  • Even if this monstrosity is rammed through over the objections of the American people, I think this still can be seen as a victory for the GOP.

    Matthew Yglesias » Joke of the Day 2010

  • A malodorous 6ft 7in monstrosity who walks upright on his hind legs, he resembles a giant Labrador, only "heavier-set and strikingly hideous".

    Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt – review Clare Clark 2010

  • Even if this monstrosity is rammed through over the objections of the American people, I think this still can be seen as a victory for the GOP.

    Matthew Yglesias » Joke of the Day 2010

  • "We do not believe this bill, this nearly 2,100-page monstrosity, is real health care reform," McConnell said.

    Senators stake out positions on health care compromise 2009

  • The problem has been that the argument has always seemed to be between people who see the darkness and call it monstrosity, and people who refuse to see the darkness.

    Brian Hall - An interview with author 2010

  • The building is one of the ugliest in Cambrige, though, a concrete monstrosity from the sixties that won lots of architectural awards but leaked from the moment it started to house students.

    A Room of One’s Own « Tales from the Reading Room 2009

  • For his inaction in this case might indicate a few things about his moral position: that first, that his moral monstrosity is not sufficiently advanced for him to actively compound his original intention, and perhaps more importantly, that he has qualms about excessively acting out his evil intentions.

    Matthew Yglesias » Bishops and Abortion 2010

  • This 2100 page monstrosity is a slap in the face of Americans.

    Senate pushes to pass bill by holiday 2009

Comments

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  • The first time I stumbled across the word was when listening to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody :)

    January 19, 2008