monstrous

[mon-struh s] /ˈmɒn strəs/
adjective
1.
frightful or hideous, especially in appearance; extremely ugly.
2.
shocking or revolting; outrageous:
monstrous cruelty.
3.
extraordinarily great; huge; immense:
a monstrous building.
4.
deviating grotesquely from the natural or normal form or type.
5.
having the nature or appearance of a fabulous monster.
adverb
6.
extremely; exceedingly; very.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English < Latin mōnstrōsus. See monster, -ous
Related forms
monstrously, adverb
monstrousness, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. horrible, atrocious. 3. See gigantic.
Examples from the web for monstrous
  • These short stories share a seemingly monstrous sense of inevitability.
  • Defining what is monstrous is really about defining what is normal.
  • For over a century biologists have puzzled over why toucans have such monstrous and colorful bills.
  • The rumor emanating from there reflected the instinctive dread aroused by such monstrous innovation.
  • There are many weeding devices on the market, including some designed to pry out the monstrous taproots of dandelions.
  • But faculty is difficult to attract and keep with monstrous salaries being offered by private companies.
  • It's a monstrous book, about a monstrous house, written in a mind-bogglingly complex form.
  • monstrous waves race together from every point of the horizon.
  • Hot spots left over from this monstrous cosmic blast gave scientists clues about the development of the universe.
  • They are re-embodiments of secret fears and desires, of monstrous hungers and frightful lusts.
British Dictionary definitions for monstrous

monstrous

/ˈmɒnstrəs/
adjective
1.
abnormal, hideous, or unnatural in size, character, etc
2.
(of plants and animals) abnormal in structure
3.
outrageous, atrocious, or shocking: it is monstrous how badly he is treated
4.
huge: a monstrous fire
5.
of, relating to, or resembling a monster
Derived Forms
monstrously, adverb
monstrousness, noun
Word Origin and History for monstrous
adj.

mid-15c., "unnatural, deviating from the natural order, hideous," from Middle French monstrueux, from Latin monstruosus "strange, unnatural, monstrous," from monstrum (see monster). Meaning "enormous" is from c.1500; that of "outrageously wrong" is from 1570s. Earlier form monstruous (late 14c., from Old French monstruous) was "very common in the 16th c." [OED].