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
Synonym Usage
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.
From that point on, an entire society becomes thinkable: exchanges of women between groups, asymmetrical integrations, reciprocal or non-reciprocal circulation, alliances, captures, or more brutal forms of intergroup relations.
From Science Daily • Jul. 7, 2026
And then there’s Rep. Jared Golden, the Democratic representative of Maine’s 2nd District, a centrist Blue Dog Democrat who has ground out victories in several brutal campaigns.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
That shift in perspective comes after weathering some brutal setbacks.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2026
Observing Sir Keir over the last two years as prime minister, he has always sought to point out publicly the brutal trade-offs he confronts.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
The brutal era of sharecropping and Jim Crow was ending, but what followed was persistent unemployment and worsening poverty.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
