brutal

[ broot-l ]

adjective

1. savage; cruel; inhuman:

   a brutal attack on the village.

   Synonyms: barbarous, brutish, ferocious

   Antonyms: kind

2. crude; coarse:

   brutal language.

   Synonyms: uncivil, rough, rude, gross

3. harsh; ferocious:

   brutal criticism; brutal weather.

4. taxing, demanding, or exhausting:

   They're having a brutal time making ends meet.

5. irrational; unreasoning.
6. of or relating to lower animals.

   Synonyms: animal, beastly, bestial

   Antonyms: human

brutal

/ ˈbruːtəl /

adjective

1. cruel; vicious; savage
2. extremely honest or coarse in speech or manner
3. harsh; severe; extreme

   brutal cold

Derived Forms

• ˈbrutally, adverb
• bruˈtality, noun

Other Words From

• brutal·ly adverb
• hyper·brutal adjective
• hyper·brutal·ly adverb
• non·brutal adjective
• non·brutal·ly adverb
• over·brutal adjective
• over·brutal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of brutal¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin brūtālis; equivalent to brute ¹ + -al ¹

Synonym Study

See cruel.

Example Sentences

If you experience especially brutal winters, consider heated mittens.

From Popular-Science

Though Goff has accomplished plenty as the Rams’ signal-caller since head coach Sean McVay took over in 2017, the contrast with his brutal rookie season under Jeff Fisher sure made it seem like that success was more about McVay than Goff.

From FiveThirtyEight

It’s an episode that at first appears to depict the fall of a brutal institution.

From Time

That’s back-to-back brutal NFC championship game losses for Rodgers, who also knows the Packers will move on to Love as the starter at some point.

From Washington Post

Ignoring the brutal repercussions of Africa’s diamond trade, the woman notes that “the locals were sitting on a fortune and they didn’t even realize it.”

From Washington Post

The army has since conducted a brutal wave of jailings against activists and journalists.

From The Daily Beast

Matthew Fenner claims members of the North Carolina-based The Word of Faith Fellowship subjected him to a brutal attack.

From The Daily Beast

Currently, there are many millions of Muslims who vehemently oppose ISIL and the brutal current in Islam that it represents.

From The Daily Beast

Bill Murray has been accused by his ex-wife of repeated, brutal physical abuse.

From The Daily Beast

But he lost and his brutal career was over thanks to John Doar and the Voting Rights Act.

From The Daily Beast

There was a cry from Tip—a sound of splintering wood—something seemed to strike me a brutal blow.

From Project Gutenberg

But the loathsome death of this brutal voluptuary soon delivered the church from the most implacable of its foes.

From Project Gutenberg

How refinedly brutal is this constant care lest the hangman be robbed of his prey!

From Project Gutenberg

One would think that the chorus should rather give the son a severe reprimand for speaking in so brutal a manner to his father.

From Project Gutenberg

Charges of incapacity, cruelty, brutal insolence, were hurled backward and forward.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• barbarous
• callous
• ferocious
• harsh
• inhuman
• merciless
• rough
• rude
• ruthless
• savage
• severe
• vicious