brute

¹ American  

[broot] / brut /

noun

• brutes
  plural

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.

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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 American  

[broot] / brut /

verb (used with object)

bruted, bruting

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

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brute British  

/ bruːt /

noun

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

   2. ( as modifier )

      brute nature

2. a brutal person

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adjective

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

2. without reason or intelligence

3. coarse and grossly sensual

Synonym Usage

See animal.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bruteness
  noun
• brutelike
  adjective
• brutely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• brutes
  plural

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Etymology

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; see origin at brute ¹, -age

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Explanation

His road rage may turn your dad into a brute when he gets behind the wheel. A brute is a person who is as ferocious as a wild animal. A violent, savage person can be described as a brute, and so can a wild animal. Someone who's less monstrous but is still unpleasant can also be a brute, and it can be used as an adjective to mean, basically, "brutal." If it's more animal than human, you can call it brute, like the brute power of an invading army. The Latin brutus, "heavy, dull, or stupid," gave rise to brute, which through the 15th century only referred to animals.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brute brutes bruted bruting

However, the Springboks' brute strength in the close quarters meant they could collect points without needing to resort to such high-risk passages of play.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

“Mutiny” convinced me that he’s content to be a dull brute.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

He is in a brute profession with a brute standard—winning, period—and a long tradition of ignoring all sorts of regrettable employee behavior so long as the victories continue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

It was not just about brute force, though, there were deft touches too.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

Shasta, half mad with horror, managed to lurch towards the brute.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

Except from behind the windshield, where he views the world as teeming with schemers and brutes, acting on all manner of Machiavellian impulses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2025

But it made a few of the par 4s, such as the 490-yard first and the 465-yard fifth, play like brutes.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 11, 2024

This all-star mercenary squadron composed of ’80s-to-aughts brutes is the cinematic equivalent to Slash’s Snakepit, a supergroup throwback to an era when men were meatheads and we in the audience merrily cheered them on.

From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

His uncompromising hostility toward revolutionaries inspired Thomas Paine to remark in 1776, “Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families.”

From National Geographic ● Jul. 3, 2023

She had a gentle spirit that smiled at him and made him want to protect her from brutes like Jordan.

From "Forged by Fire" by Sharon M. Draper

Certayne dayes after that the Lorde Antonio had bruted the maryage of his daughter, many Gentlemen were suters, so wel for the excellency of hir Beauty, as for hir great Rychesse and reuenue.

From The Palace of Pleasure Volume 3 by William Painter

The fame and glorie of Britaine. to see this noble Islande of Britain, whose fame for nobilitée was knowen and bruted, not onelie in Rome, but also in the vttermoste lādes.

From A booke called the Foundacion of Rhetorike because all other partes of Rhetorike are grounded thereupon, euery parte sette forthe in an Oracion vpon questions, verie profitable to bee knowen and redde by Richard Rainolde

Such was the valiancie of King Richard shown in manfull constraining of the citie, that his praise was greatly bruted both amongst the Christians and also the Saracens.

From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 11 — Ancient and Mediæval History by Sir John Alexander Hammerton

Moreover ye see what opinion is like to be conceiued of you, when it shalbe bruted that for the Marquize feare, you haue maried the Mantuan Lord.

From The Palace of Pleasure Volume 3 by William Painter

The newes of whose imprisonment was anon bruted through the realme, wherewith the Nobles fretted, and the commons curssed: finallie all men detested such tyrannie in the chancellour.

From Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (6 of 12) Richard the First by Raphael Holinshed

Stones of fancy shape, such as square, or cushion shape, have to be formed in part by hand rubbing or "bruting" as it is called.

From A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public by Frank Bertram Wade

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