verb
- to make or cause to become like a beast; to dehumanize or brutalize
Usage: formal; often used in literary or academic contexts
Examples
- War bestializes even the most civilized people.
- The harsh conditions of prison life bestializes inmates over time.
- Critics argued that the violent video game bestializes young players.
- Poverty and neglect can bestialized children if left unchecked.
- The dictator’s propaganda bestializes his enemies in the public mind.