1.
beast; wild animal; four-legged mammal
A wild, typically four-legged mammal — a deer, boar, bear, fox, and the like. Carries a wilder, more primitive connotation than the neutral 動物 ('animal'), and is often used in figurative or literary contexts.
山の獣。
Wild beasts of the mountains.
夜の森で獣の声が聞こえた。
The cries of beasts could be heard in the nighttime forest.
この山道には獣の足跡が点々と残っている。
There are animal tracks scattered along this mountain path.
飢えに追い詰められた彼は、まるで獣のように食べ物にかぶりついた。
Driven by hunger, he fell upon the food like a beast.
Native Japanese word, thought to derive from 毛の物 ('thing with fur'). Written with the kanji 獣, which also has the on-yomi reading じゅう (as in 獣医 'veterinarian' or 野獣 'wild beast').
USAGE:
Literary and evocative. Used in descriptions of wildlife (山の獣 = 'mountain beasts'), in metaphors about human behavior reverting to an animalistic state, and in classical and folkloric contexts. In everyday speech, 動物 is the neutral word; 獣 is chosen for its earthy, wild nuance.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 山の獣: mountain beasts
- 獣道: animal trail (a track made by wild animals through the forest)
- 獣のように: like a beast
- 獣の足跡: animal tracks
- 獣臭い: smelling like an animal
- 獣の皮: the hide/pelt of a beast
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 動物: animal — neutral, standard term; covers all animals including pets and sea life
- 野獣: wild beast — more literary, emphasizes ferocity
- 野生動物: wildlife; wild animal — modern, scientific term
- 四足獣: four-legged beast — specifically quadrupeds
- 猛獣: ferocious beast — used of tigers, lions, etc.
REGISTER:
Somewhat literary and old-fashioned in everyday registers, but standard in outdoor, folklore, hunting, and agricultural contexts, where 'wild animals causing trouble' is often expressed using 獣 or 獣害 ('animal damage to crops').