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Synonyms

brutish

American  
[broo-tish] / ˈbru tɪʃ /

adjective

  1. brutal; cruel.

  2. gross; coarse.

  3. carnal; sensual.

  4. uncivilized.

  5. bestial; like an animal.

brutish British  
/ ˈbruːtɪʃ /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a brute or brutes; animal

  2. coarse; cruel; stupid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • brutishly adverb
  • brutishness noun

Etymology

Origin of brutish

First recorded in 1485–95; brute 1 + -ish 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It could make life less nasty, less brutish, and less short—and less hard.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

But the longed-for comeuppance of the brutish earl is as much an attraction to the series as Ms. Peckham.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

This year, it became apparent to more shoppers that Prime Day is less a showcase of Amazon deals than a brutish exhibition of the platform’s unmatched power.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2025

Except Courvoisier complicates it further by making Marie-Lise the sister of Totone’s brutish nemeses.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

The villagers transformed into brutish creatures before my very eyes, with their hungry mouths gaping wide.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.