brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrü-tᵊl How to pronounce brutal (audio)
1
: suitable to one who lacks intelligence, sensitivity, or compassion : befitting a brute: such as
a
: cruel, cold-blooded
a brutal attack
b
: harsh, severe
brutal weather
c
: unpleasantly accurate and incisive
the brutal truth
d
: very bad or unpleasant
a brutal mistake
e
: grossly ruthless or unfeeling
a brutal slander
2
archaic : typical of beasts : animal
thee, Serpent … to me so friendly grown above the rest of brutal kindJohn Milton
brutally adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for brutal

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of brutal in a Sentence

Sailors sometimes faced brutal punishments like whipping. a brutal struggle for survival in the wilderness The writer describes the dangers of drugs with brutal honesty. The movie is a brutal depiction of the war. The traffic was brutal on the way to work. I had a brutal headache this morning.
Recent Examples on the Web The Kremlin’s brutal war in Ukraine, now in its third horrific year, has cost Russians dearly. Matthew Chance, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024 But a New York Times and Fuller Project investigation has found that these brands have also profited from a brutal system of labor that exploits children and leads to the unnecessary sterilization of working-age women. Qadri Inzamam Saumya Khandelwal, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Tua’s tough task: Free agency losses hurting Miami Dolphins as brutal AFC gets stronger // ‘Reinvented’ Florida Panthers didn’t matter for decades. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2024 The incidents involved Indian students from different universities, and range from death by suicides, accidental overdoses and a brutal assault, according to authorities. Juhi Doshi, ABC News, 23 Mar. 2024 We were subjected to brutal violence and our families were irrevocably broken. A. Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024 The lavish Beverly Hills mansion where the Menendez brothers fatally shot their parents in 1989 has sold for $17 million, exactly 28 years to the day after the brothers were convicted of the brutal murders. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024 The largest movement of peoples across the seas occurred by brutal force, through the Atlantic slave trade. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 As Angelenos continue to suffer through a housing crisis, new data suggest that Los Angeles County’s notoriously brutal rental market may be cooling while rental prices continue to climb in some of the most populous regions of Northern California. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brutal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin brutalis, from Latin brutus — more at brute

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of brutal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near brutal

Cite this Entry

“Brutal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brutal. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brutal

adjective
bru·​tal ˈbrüt-ᵊl How to pronounce brutal (audio)
: being cruel and inhuman : savage
a brutal attack
brutally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on brutal

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