brute

¹

[broot]

noun

1. a nonhuman creature; beast.

2. a brutal, insensitive, or crude person.

3. the animal qualities, desires, etc., of humankind.

   Father felt that rough games brought out the brute in us.

adjective

1. animal; not human.

2. not characterized by intelligence or reason; irrational.

3. characteristic of animals; of brutal character or quality.

4. savage; cruel.

   brute force.

5. carnal; sensual.

brute

²

[broot]

verb (used with object)

bruted, bruting 

1. to shape (a diamond) by rubbing with another diamond or a diamond chip.

brute

/ bruːt /

noun

1. 1. any animal except man; beast; lower animal

   2. ( as modifier )

      brute nature

2. a brutal person

adjective

1. wholly instinctive or physical (esp in the phrases brute strength, brute force )

2. without reason or intelligence

3. coarse and grossly sensual

Other Word Forms

• brutelike adjective
• brutely adverb
• bruteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brute¹

First recorded in 1425–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin brūtus “heavy, devoid of feeling, irrational”

Origin of brute²

First recorded in 1900–05; back formation from bruting “rough hewing (of a diamond),” partial translation of French brutage literally, “a roughing,” equivalent to brut “rough, raw” + -age; brute ¹, -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of brute¹

C15: from Latin brūtus heavy, irrational; related to gravis heavy

Synonym Study

See animal.

Example Sentences

They were using ropes & brute force to pull the obelisk along the dock until it was very close to The Dessoug.

Read more on Literature

Different versions of the dreadlocked brute showed up in eight movies over the decades, all from the same alien tribe of growling killing machines.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But, he added, “I don’t believe that you take this brute force, across-the-board approach to AI in the business.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

What’s clear is that the Princeton University Art Museum, through the brute scale of its starchitect-designed building alone, has declared itself a player on the world stage.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

To win, one man needs to push another out of the ring or to the ground using brute strength.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• beast 
• critter 
• lout