noun HSK 5
Traditional 猛獸
ferocious beast · wild beast · fierce animal
Meaning
猛兽 refers to dangerous wild animals that are powerful and aggressive, typically large predators like tigers, lions, bears, or wolves. The term emphasizes the fierce, untamed nature of these animals and their potential danger to humans.
Usage
This word is commonly used in formal or literary contexts when discussing wildlife, zoos, nature documentaries, or warning signs. It's often seen in phrases like '猛兽出没' (beware of wild animals) on signs near nature reserves. Native speakers also use it metaphorically to describe extremely fierce or dangerous people.
Examples
- 01动物园的猛兽区禁止游客下车。.Visitors are forbidden to get out of their cars in the zoo's wild animal area.
- 02森林里可能有猛兽出没，我们要小心。, .There might be wild beasts in the forest, we need to be careful.
Characters
Measure words
- 只一只猛兽
- 头三头猛兽
Common collocations
- 猛兽出没wild beasts appear (warning sign)
- 猛兽区dangerous animal zone (in zoo)
- 驯服猛兽to tame a wild beast
- 如同猛兽like a ferocious beast
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 猛 (fierce, violent) with 兽 (beast), directly conveying the concept of a dangerous animal. The character 兽 originally depicted a dog or wild animal in oracle bone script.