monstro

Danish

Etymology

Clipping of mon man skal tro (“should one believe”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /monstroːˀ/, [mɔnsˈtˢʁ̥oˀ], [mʌnsˈtˢʁ̥oˀ]

Adverb

monstro

1. (dated or humorous) I wonder (if)

   Synonym: mon

Esperanto

Etymology

From Latin mōnstrum. Doublet of montri.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmonstro/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -onstro
• Syllabification: mons‧tro

Noun

monstro (accusative singular monstron, plural monstroj, accusative plural monstrojn)

1. monster (terrifying or dangerous creature)

   Ne zorgu, mia filo; monstroj ne troviĝas sur via lito.

   Don't worry, my son; there are no monsters under your bed.

Hypernyms

• demono (“demon”)
• fantomo (“ghost, demon”)
• infantimigulo (“bogeyman”)
• zombio (“zombie”)

Derived terms

• monstra (“monstrous, monster-like”)

Further reading

• “monstro”, in Plena Ilustrita Vortaro de Esperanto [Complete Illustrated Dictionary of Esperanto], 2020, →ISBN
• “monstro”, in Reta Vortaro [Online Dictionary] (in Esperanto), 1997-2026

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin monstrum.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmonstɾo/ [ˈmõns̺.t̪ɾʊ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -onstɾo
• Hyphenation: mons‧tro

Noun

monstro m (plural monstros)

1. monster (terrifying and dangerous, wild or fictional creature)
2. monstrosity, mutant, aberration
3. extremely cruel or antisocial person, especially a criminal

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “monstro”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “monstro”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “monstro”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /monstro/

Noun

monstro (plural monstri)

1. monster (terrifying dangerous creature)

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmons.tro/
• Rhymes: -onstro
• Hyphenation: món‧stro

Noun

monstro m (plural monstri)

1. (obsolete) alternative form of mostro

Latin

Etymology

From mōnstrum +‎ -ō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈmõː.stroː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈmɔn.stro]

Verb

mōnstrō (present infinitive mōnstrāre, perfect active mōnstrāvī, supine mōnstrātum); first conjugation

1. to show, point out, indicate, demonstrate
   1. (Medieval Latin, Ecclesiastical Latin) to show
      • 405 CE, Hieronymus, Vulgate Proverbs.4.11:

        Viam sapientiae mōnstrāvī tibi dūxī tē per sēmitās aequitātis.

        I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity. (Douay-Rheims trans., Challoner rev.; 1752 CE)

2. to appoint, ordain
3. to denounce, indict
4. to advise, teach

Conjugation

   Conjugation of mōnstrō (first conjugation)

indicative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	mōnstrō		mōnstrās		mōnstrat		mōnstrāmus		mōnstrātis		mōnstrant
	imperfect	mōnstrābam		mōnstrābās		mōnstrābat		mōnstrābāmus		mōnstrābātis		mōnstrābant
	future	mōnstrābō		mōnstrābis		mōnstrābit		mōnstrābimus		mōnstrābitis		mōnstrābunt
	perfect	mōnstrāvī		mōnstrāvistī		mōnstrāvit		mōnstrāvimus		mōnstrāvistis		mōnstrāvērunt, mōnstrāvēre
	pluperfect	mōnstrāveram		mōnstrāverās		mōnstrāverat		mōnstrāverāmus		mōnstrāverātis		mōnstrāverant
	future perfect	mōnstrāverō		mōnstrāveris		mōnstrāverit		mōnstrāverimus		mōnstrāveritis		mōnstrāverint
passive	present	mōnstror		mōnstrāris, mōnstrāre		mōnstrātur		mōnstrāmur		mōnstrāminī		mōnstrantur
	imperfect	mōnstrābar		mōnstrābāris, mōnstrābāre		mōnstrābātur		mōnstrābāmur		mōnstrābāminī		mōnstrābantur
	future	mōnstrābor		mōnstrāberis, mōnstrābere		mōnstrābitur		mōnstrābimur		mōnstrābiminī		mōnstrābuntur
	perfect	mōnstrātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	mōnstrātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	mōnstrātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	mōnstrem		mōnstrēs		mōnstret		mōnstrēmus		mōnstrētis		mōnstrent
	imperfect	mōnstrārem		mōnstrārēs		mōnstrāret		mōnstrārēmus		mōnstrārētis		mōnstrārent
	perfect	mōnstrāverim		mōnstrāverīs		mōnstrāverit		mōnstrāverīmus		mōnstrāverītis		mōnstrāverint
	pluperfect	mōnstrāvissem		mōnstrāvissēs		mōnstrāvisset		mōnstrāvissēmus		mōnstrāvissētis		mōnstrāvissent
passive	present	mōnstrer		mōnstrēris, mōnstrēre		mōnstrētur		mōnstrēmur		mōnstrēminī		mōnstrentur
	imperfect	mōnstrārer		mōnstrārēris, mōnstrārēre		mōnstrārētur		mōnstrārēmur		mōnstrārēminī		mōnstrārentur
	perfect	mōnstrātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	mōnstrātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular						plural
		first		second		third		first		second		third
active	present	—		mōnstrā		—		—		mōnstrāte		—
	future	—		mōnstrātō		mōnstrātō		—		mōnstrātōte		mōnstrantō
passive	present	—		mōnstrāre		—		—		mōnstrāminī		—
	future	—		mōnstrātor		mōnstrātor		—		—		mōnstrantor
non-finite forms		infinitive						participle
		active			passive			active			passive
present		mōnstrāre			mōnstrārī			mōnstrāns			—
future		mōnstrātūrum esse			mōnstrātum īrī			mōnstrātūrus			mōnstrandus
perfect		mōnstrāvisse			mōnstrātum esse			—			mōnstrātus
future perfect		—			mōnstrātum fore			—			—
perfect potential		mōnstrātūrum fuisse			—			—			—
verbal nouns		gerund								supine
		genitive		dative		accusative		ablative		accusative		ablative
		mōnstrandī		mōnstrandō		mōnstrandum		mōnstrandō		mōnstrātum		mōnstrātū

Derived terms

• dēmōnstrō
• mōnstrātiō
• mōnstrātus
• praemōnstrō

Descendants

• Balkan Romance:
  • Romanian: mustra, mustrare
• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: mustrà, muscià
  • Italian: mostrare
  • Neapolitan: mostare
  • Sicilian: mustrari
• Padanian:
  • Ligurian: mostrâ, mosciâ
  • Friulian: mostrâ
  • Piedmontese: mostré, mosté, mossé
  • Romansh: mussar, musser, muossar
  • Venetan: mostrar
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: mostrar
  • Franco-Provençal: montrar, motrar
  • Old French: mostret, mustrer
    • Middle French: monstrer (/n/ taken from Latin; silent ⟨s⟩)
      • French: montrer
    • Walloon: mostrer
    • → English: muster
  • Occitan: mostrar, muishar
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Aragonese: mostrar
  • Asturian: amosar
  • Galician: mostrar, amosar
  • Portuguese: mostrar, amostrar
  • Spanish: mostrar
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: mostrai, ammostai, multrare, mustrare

References

• “monstro”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “monstro”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “monstro”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to direct a person who has lost his way: erranti viam monstrare
    
  • (ambiguous) extravagant fictions of fancy: opinionum commenta, ineptiae, monstra, portenta
    
  • (ambiguous) marvellous ideas; prodigies: monstra or portenta
    
  • (ambiguous) it is incredible: monstra dicis, narras
    

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mōnstrum.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmõs.tɾu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmõs.tɾu/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈmõʃ.tɾu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmõs.tɾo/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmõʃ.tɾu/

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

Noun

monstro m (plural monstros)

1. monster
   1. a fictional creature with hideous traits, often evil, dangerous and associated with horror fiction

      Vi um filme de monstro hoje. ― I've seen a monster movie today.

   2. (figurative) a person who acts cruelly or performs very immoral acts

      Esses assassinos são uns monstros! ― Those murderers are monsters!

2. (figurative) an ugly person
3. (slang, bodybuilding) an excessively muscular person, often a man

Derived terms

• monstrengo
• monstruosidade
• monstruoso

Related terms

• mostrar

Adjective

monstro (feminine monstra, masculine plural monstros, feminine plural monstras, comparable, comparative mais monstro, superlative o mais monstro or monstríssimo, diminutive monstrinho, augmentative monstrão)

1. (slang) incredible, amazing, astonishing

   Jogada monstra! ― Amazing move!

2. (slang, of a person) very muscular or excessively fit

   Depois de muito treino, fiquei monstro! ― After much training, I became very muscular!

3. (slang, of a person, usually followed by related activity) remarkably good at something

   Você é monstro no basquete! ― You play basketball amazingly!

Further reading

• “monstro”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “monstro”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmonstɾo/ [ˈmõns.t̪ɾo]
• Rhymes: -onstɾo
• Syllabification: mons‧tro

Noun

monstro m (plural monstros)

1. obsolete form of monstruo

Further reading

• “monstro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025