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

Other Word Forms

• brutally adverb
• hyperbrutal adjective
• hyperbrutally adverb
• nonbrutal adjective
• nonbrutally adverb
• overbrutal adjective
• overbrutally adverb
• brutality noun

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

Business leaders face a nervous final few days before the chancellor's second Budget, having borne the brunt of a brutal set of tax hikes this time last year.

Read more on BBC

Meanwhile, if you are nursing brutal losses in bitcoin, here are a few things that might console you a little bit.

Read more on MarketWatch

Even in a tape this brutal, a handful of technology stocks are displaying impressive resilience as they firm up near support levels.

Read more on Barron's

Even in a tape this brutal, a handful of technology stocks are displaying impressive resilience as they firm up near support levels.

Read more on Barron's

Hours are long, decisions have to be quick and fans can be more brutal than shareholders if they don’t like changes.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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