brute force

Idioms  

1. Also, brute strength. Savage violence, unreasoning strength, as in We hope that reason will triumph over brute force. Although this expression is also used literally to mean exceptional physical power, the figurative sense reflects the origin for brute, which comes from Latin brutus, for “heavy, stupid, unreasoning.” [First half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

This strategy depends on intelligence rather than brute force.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

South Africa have long relied on fast bowlers of rare quality, but this attack has evolved beyond brute force.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

And by the sheer brute force of its size, bond markets force both the subjects of its wrath, and the investors that rely on them, into submission.

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

In high school, Raymond could afford to get by with brute force.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2025

The resort to weapons such as insecticides to control it is a proof of insufficient knowledge and of an incapacity so to guide the processes of nature that brute force becomes unnecessary.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• clout
• courage
• durability
• energy
• firmness
• fortitude
• health
• power
• stability
• tenacity
• toughness
• vigor
• vitality