bestiality

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UK/ˈbɛstʃəlˌlɪtɪ/US/ˈbistiˌælɪti/US/ˌbist͡ʃiˈælɪti/US/ˌbɛst͡ʃiˈælɪti/

noun

Sexual activity between a human and another animal species.

CommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounbestiality (countable and uncountable, plural bestialities)

plural bestialities · alternative misspelling beastiality

  1. countableuncountableSexual activity between a human and another animal species.

    Less common, but still frequent, are erect penises, more complete female nudes, copulations, and even scenes of bestiality.

    2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 216
    1 more example

    Second, the romance option brings up a unique issue: having sex with an alien. It’s somewhat difficult to say what the Christian should think on this issue because, well, the Bible doesn’t talk about aliens. Probably because they don’t exist (sorry to burst your bubble). Would this be considered bestiality? Or is it not bestiality since they are also beings capable of rational and ethical thought and self-reflection unlike usual animals?

    2019 October 31, Garrick Beckett, “Beckett: How BioWare Approaches Religion & Sexuality”, in The Lutheran Column, archived from the original on 17 Sep 2020, Blog
  2. countableuncountableBestial nature, savagery, inhumanity, like (or akin to) an animal's.

    the pitiful inadequacy of the reforms and the bestiality of the white society

    1963, James Boggs, The American Revolution: Pages from a Negro Worker's Notebook
  3. countabledateduncountableAny abstract entity similar to a beast.
  4. archaiccountableuncountableA status of lower animal.
  5. archaiccountableuncountableAn animal-like instinct or behaviour.
  6. archaiccountableuncountableA mark, trait, or emblem of a beast.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsexual activity between a person and an animal

Broader
sexual activitysexual practicesex

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Afrikaans bestialiteit
  • bestialiteitsexual activity with animals
Arabic بَهِيمِيّة
  • بَهِيمِيّة (bahīmiyya)sexual activity with animals
Catalan bestialitat
  • bestialitatsexual activity with animals
Chinese Cantonese 獸姦 /兽奸
  • 獸姦 /兽奸 (sau³ gaan¹)sexual activity with animals
Chinese Mandarin 獸姦 /兽奸, 人獸交 /人兽交
  • 獸姦 /兽奸 (shòujiān)sexual activity with animals
  • 人獸交 /人兽交 (rénshòujiāo)sexual activity with animals
Dutch bestialiteit
  • bestialiteitsexual activity with animals
Finnish eläimeen sekaantuminen, sodomia
  • eläimeen sekaantuminensexual activity with animals
  • sodomiasexual activity with animals
  • eläimellisyysbestial nature
  • eläimellisyysstatus of animal
French zoophilie, bestialité
  • zoophiliesexual activity with animals
  • bestialitésexual activity with animals
  • bestialitéstatus of animal
German Sodomie, Zoophilie
  • Sodomiesexual activity with animals
  • Zoophiliesexual activity with animals
  • Bestialitätbestial nature
Greek κτηνοβασία
  • κτηνοβασία (ktinovasía)sexual activity with animals
Hebrew מִשְׁכַּב בְּהֵמָה
  • מִשְׁכַּב בְּהֵמָה (mishkáv behemá)sexual activity with animals
Hindi पशुगमन, तिर्यग्योनिगमन
  • पशुगमन (paśugman)sexual activity with animals
  • तिर्यग्योनिगमन (tiryagyonigman)sexual activity with animals
Hungarian bestialitás, bestialitás
  • bestialitásbestial nature
  • bestialitásstatus of animal
  • állatiasságstatus of animal
Italian zoofilia
  • zoofiliasexual activity with animals
Japanese 獣姦
  • 獣姦 (jūkan)sexual activity with animals
Korean 수간
  • 수간 (sugan)sexual activity with animals
Latin bestialitas
  • bestialitassexual activity with animals
Malay kebinatangan
  • kebinatanganstatus of animal
Polish bestialność, bestialstwo
  • bestialnośćbestial nature
  • bestialstwobestial nature
  • bestializmbestial nature
Portuguese zoofilia, bestialidade
  • zoofiliasexual activity with animals
  • bestialidadesexual activity with animals
  • bestialismosexual activity with animals
  • bestialidadestatus of animal
Romanian bestialitate, bestialitate
  • bestialitatesexual activity with animals
  • bestialitatestatus of animal
Russian скотоло́жество, скотоло́жство
  • скотоло́жество (skotolóžestvo)sexual activity with animals
  • скотоло́жство (skotolóžstvo)sexual activity with animals
  • зоофили́я (zoofilíja)sexual activity with animals
  • ско́тство (skótstvo)status of animal
  • зве́рство (zvérstvo)status of animal
Spanish bestialidad, bestialismo
  • bestialidadsexual activity with animals
  • bestialismosexual activity with animals
  • zoofiliasexual activity with animals
  • bestialidadstatus of animal
Swedish tidelag, bestialitet
  • tidelagsexual activity with animals
  • bestialitetbestial nature
  • råhetbestial nature
Turkish hayvanlık, behimiyet
  • hayvanlıkbestial nature
  • behimiyetbestial nature
  • hayvanlıkstatus of animal
  • behimiyetstatus of animal

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bestiality

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

bestiality. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestiality

MLA

“bestiality.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestiality. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bestiality,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bestiality.

Source: bestiality on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.