noun
wild beast; wild animal; brute
Refers to undomesticated, often dangerous animals; can also be used figuratively for a person acting in a brutal, uncivilized manner.
森の奥で野獣の遠吠えが聞こえた。
We heard the distant howl of a wild beast deep in the forest.
彼は怒りで野獣のようになった。
He became like a brute in his anger.
Compound of 野 (field, wild) and 獣 (beast, animal). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys the meaning of a wild animal.