Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
inner monster

inner monster

7.7
Strong fears or bad feelings inside a person that they must face
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : monstruo interior
  • It takes courage to confront your inner monster and work through your darkest thoughts.

Examples

  • While it's fine to don a monster costume for an evening, are you guilty of letting your inner monster out when conflicts arise in your relationships?

    Blog text (9)

  • Your inner monster doesn't need a full moon or fog-filled cemetery to come to life... just a little bit of conflict.

    Blog text (9)

  • Everyone has an inner monster that they must face when overcoming their fears.

  • During tough times, I often feel my inner monster pushing me to give up.

Synonyms

inner struggle
vsinner monster
1 5.7

A fight inside a person's mind about what they feel or believe

focuses on fears and darker impulses that must be faced
inner beast
vsinner monster
  • Informal
1 7.7

A strong, wild urge inside a person that is hard to control

emphasizes inner fears and struggles rather than pure aggression

How Troubling

fear
∞ 1.0
inner monster
  • Informal
7.7
worry
290 1.0
concern
∞ 1.5

Surface Forms

inner monster singular
inner monsters plural

Morphology

inner + monster

The phrase is a straightforward composition of 'inner' (internal) + 'monster' (a frightening/harmful creature), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a person's internal fears, darker impulses, or struggles. The metaphor is transparent and cross-linguistically common (cf. 'inner demon'), making the intended meaning predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase inner monster paints a picture of a scary creature living inside a person: inner means inside you and monster shows something frightening or wild. That image helps explain why it means the hidden 'fears', 'struggles', or 'bad urges' someone must face and control.