brutish

[broo-tish]

See more synonyms for brutish on Thesaurus.com

adjective

brutal; cruel.
gross; coarse.
carnal; sensual.

uncivilized.
bestial; like an animal.

Origin of brutish

First recorded in 1485–95; brute¹ + -ish¹

Related formsbrut·ish·ly, adverbbrut·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for brutish

Contemporary Examples

The story was so appalling, the attack so brutish and morally offensive, that it provoked an immediate, furious response.
Why It Was Right to Question Rolling Stone’s U-VA Rape Story
Michael Moynihan
December 5, 2014
Think of it as the Jersey Shore exception, where you can act like a brutish goon and the first bust is essentially a do-over.
Ray Rice Should Have Remembered His 'Kindness' Anti-Bullying Wristband
Michael Daly
September 10, 2014
Sprewell also joins one of cogs in Pat Riley’s brutish ‘90s teams in racking up massive amounts of debt.
Guns, Blow Jobs, and Choke Holds: a History of the New York Knicks
Robert Silverman
February 26, 2014
The process of Republican change is going be what we might call a two-thirds Hobbes: nasty, brutish, and long.
The GOP’s Inept Autopsy
Michael Tomasky
March 18, 2013
Yet the brutish rhetoric inevitably coming from GOP opponents will only alienate Hispanics even more than they already are.
Obama Realigns, the GOP Declines: The New Political Paradigm
Robert Shrum
February 1, 2013

Historical Examples

Laziness, that brutish existence which had been his dream, proved his punishment.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola
Pluto listened, and his face grew hard, brutish in its sullen hate.
The Bondwoman
Marah Ellis Ryan
This is a brutish Malthusianism which must be adamantly countered.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
Just because they were so unclean and brutish His holiness longed all the more to cleanse them.
True Words for Brave Men
Charles Kingsley
There were no divinity, but by reason of compassion for revenges are brutish and mortal.
Raleigh
Edmund Gosse

British Dictionary definitions for brutish

brutish

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a brute or brutes; animal
coarse; cruel; stupid

Derived Formsbrutishly, adverbbrutishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brutish

adj.

1530s, "pertaining to animals," from brute (n.) + -ish. In reference to human brutes, from 1550s. Related: Brutishly; brutishness.

brutish

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}brutish

Examples from the Web for brutish

Contemporary Examples

The story was so appalling, the attack so brutish and morally offensive, that it provoked an immediate, furious response.

Think of it as the Jersey Shore exception, where you can act like a brutish goon and the first bust is essentially a do-over.

Sprewell also joins one of cogs in Pat Riley’s brutish ‘90s teams in racking up massive amounts of debt.

The process of Republican change is going be what we might call a two-thirds Hobbes: nasty, brutish, and long.

Yet the brutish rhetoric inevitably coming from GOP opponents will only alienate Hispanics even more than they already are.

Historical Examples

Laziness, that brutish existence which had been his dream, proved his punishment.

Pluto listened, and his face grew hard, brutish in its sullen hate.

This is a brutish Malthusianism which must be adamantly countered.

Just because they were so unclean and brutish His holiness longed all the more to cleanse them.

There were no divinity, but by reason of compassion for revenges are brutish and mortal.

brutish

Word Origin and History for brutish

adj.

Origin of brutish