adj
beastly
BEEST-lee
adj
1
Extremely unpleasant, cruel, or disgusting.
"The weather has been absolutely beastly this week."
"It was a beastly thing to say to her."
adv
1
British informal: to a great or extreme degree.
"It's beastly cold out there tonight."
How to Use Beastly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNasty or unpleasant — often used in old-fashioned or dry British understatement.
When to use it
Has a somewhat dated, upper-class British flavour, as in "beastly weather."
Common pairings
beastly weather
beastly cold
a beastly habit
Word Forms
beastlier comparative, more beastly comparative, more beastly comparative, beastliest superlative, most beastly superlative, most beastly superlative
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The weather has been absolutely _____ this week.
Etymology
From Middle English bestely, formed from beast + -ly.