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View synonyms for brutal

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

“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


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Derived Forms

  • ˈbrutally, adverb
  • bruˈtality, noun
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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
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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
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Synonym Study

See cruel.
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Example Sentences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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