brutish
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a brute or brutes; animal
-
coarse; cruel; stupid
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brutish
Explanation
Use the adjective brutish to describe someone who is so cruel or violent that he seems more like a wild animal than a human. A brutish king will be deeply disliked by his subjects. Someone who's brutish is uncivilized in some way. A brutish person might, for example, knock a table over when he's angry or slap another person without a thought. Brutish leaders make decisions that endanger or even kill people. The word brutish means "like a brute," and a brute is an extremely violent or wild person or animal. In the 1500's, brutish simply meant "like an animal," and the Latin root word, brutus, means "heavy, dull, or stupid."
Vocabulary lists containing brutish
Surviving Hitler
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Excerpt from "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar"
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Becoming Kareem
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The nasty, brutish view prevailed and its cynical operating principle was applied: “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Their pack is still brutish, highlighted by a punishing takedown of rivals Northampton Saints last month.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
Driven by rumors of Severus’ impending death, some bored soldiers proclaimed one of his brutish sons as their emperor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
He quotes the philosopher Thomas Hobbes that our lives have been “nasty, brutish and short.”
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2025
He behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behavior. after his arrival.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
