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bestial

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An adjective meaning beast-like, savage, or lacking human reason; in poetry, it suggests primal instinct, cruelty, or the degradation of character to animality under stress.

Detailed Definition
The term 'bestial' conveys a sense of primal savagery and lack of human qualities. In the context of the poem, it emphasizes the raw, instinctual struggle faced by the speaker, contrasting with the more civilized aspects of life. This word evokes a powerful image of the darker sides of human existence, suggesting a loss of control and a return to a more animalistic state.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Bestial, intent, real. The wet spark comes, the bright blown walls collapse" (animalistic); "The bestial roar of the crowd" (mob); "Man's bestial nature" (philosophical); "Bestial hunger in his eyes" (primal); "The bestial dance of savagery" (primitive)
Additional Notes
The word 'bestial' is used to describe a savage and instinctual state, highlighting the struggle faced by the speaker.; Found in the poem, Dry-Point by Philip Arthur Larkin
Also Known As
brutish savage animalistic feral
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