Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) used of a piece of engineering, usu. a large and formidable car or plane.

[1759–67		Sterne Tristram Shandy (1949) 130: Imagine to yourself, Obidiah mounted on a monster of a coach-horse].
1872		J.D. McCabe Lights & Shadows 247: Over fifty newspapers and literary papers, besides magazines and books innumerable, are printed by this monster engine.
1920		Ade Hand-made Fables 245: It was a beautiful Monster, with the sheen of Satin, the well-ordered compactness of a Swiss Watch, and a Purr like that of a Pet Kitten.
1942		‘Digg Mee’ ‘Observation Post’ in N.Y. Age 29 Aug. 9/6: The ‘monsters’ of the streets now are scarce and few.
1952		W.R. Burnett Vanity Row 4: A huge truck towing a trailer as long as itself pulled up at the traffic-light [...] Jeez, what must it be like to drive a monster like that.

2. (US) an outstanding person, thing, achievement or success.

1958		C. Himes Real Cool Killers (1969) 19: (to a policeman) Hold it, monster.
1964		E. Shrake But Not For Love 34: ‘We’re overdue for a big blow, a hundred and seventy mile an hour monster’ .
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 158: Monster A strong, often offensive male.
1975		Newsweek 24 Mar. 81: The Average White Band is an exciting group with the potential to be what the music business calls ‘monsters’.
1999		K. Sampson Powder 294: This can be the difference between a gold record and a mult-eye fuckin platinum monster!
2007		B. Coleman Check the Technique 466: [of a record] ‘I called up the Los Angeles office [of Loud records] and said: “We’ve got a monster on our hands”’.

3. (US campus) a difficult course or examination.

1967–8

Baker et al. CUSS.

4. in drug uses.

5. an obsessive, an addict.

1998		Hip-Hop Connection Dec. 14: Self confessed beer and beats monster.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 202: Rave-loving, mad-driving, rap-talking party monsters.

6. (US prison) HIV/AIDS.

2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Monster: HIV. ‘He has the Monster.’.
2003		Express Gay News No. 97 🌐 Past Scenarios winners include 15-year-old Tex-Mex girls who explored teen pregnancy, and three inmates on Rikers Island who wrote The Monster (street slang for AIDS).
2023		Rayman & Blau Riker’s 265: They used to have sayings to tell you someone died [from HIV-related illnesses]. It was the ‘monster.’ He died from the ‘monster.’ ‘Miss Honey got the package.’ ‘She got the kitty. Why the kitty? ’Cause the bitch kept scratching’.

7. cocaine.

2001

ONDCP Street Terms 15: Monster — Cocaine.