brutal
Americanadjective
-
savage; cruel; inhuman.
a brutal attack on the village.
- Antonyms:
- kind
-
crude; coarse.
brutal language.
-
harsh; ferocious.
brutal criticism; brutal weather.
-
taxing, demanding, or exhausting.
They're having a brutal time making ends meet.
-
irrational; unreasoning.
-
of or relating to lower animals.
- Antonyms:
- human
adjective
-
cruel; vicious; savage
-
extremely honest or coarse in speech or manner
-
harsh; severe; extreme
brutal cold
Related Words
See cruel.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brutal
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin brūtālis; equivalent to brute 1 + -al 1
Explanation
Use brutal to describe something beastly and harsh, like training for a triathlon, a really cold winter in the Arctic, or a mean bouncer at a club who throws people out for no reason. First used in the mid 15th century to refer to the brutish nature of animals, brutal is now also used to describe other things like human behavior, weather, or even music. “Rock ‘n Roll,” said Frank Sinatra, “is the most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression it has been my misfortune to hear.” If someone is brutal, watch out — she's violent and mean. The truth can be brutal, too, if it's something you don't want to hear.
Vocabulary lists containing brutal
Wintry Words
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The Crossover
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Sugar Changed the World
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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.
Brazilian singer Luisa Sonza brought her newly released album "Brutal Paraiso" to Coachella this weekend in a performance she described as "a unique experience."
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Appeared in the October 9, 2025, print edition as 'A Brutal Battle for High-School Spots'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
Brutal humor and obstinacy bind these malcontents together for almost 15 years.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
Brutal negative criticism is now out of fashion, but it’s too much a part of the human experience to be killed off.
From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024
Brutal, rude, and always teasing; he was an incomparable fencing-master, but he disliked giving lessons to "brats" like us, as he called us.
From My Double Life The Memoirs of Sarah Bernhardt by Bernhardt, Sarah
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.
