1
: suitable to one who lacks intelligence, sensitivity, or compassion : befitting a brute: such as
a
: cruel, cold-blooded
a brutal attack
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 kind …—
John Milton
John MiltonExamples 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
Rachel is doing her best to be supportive as Ian is desperate to learn if his ex-wife, Wahionaweh, and their son, Swiftest of Lizards, survived the brutal massacre of their village and so many others.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
On the thermal side, flat-wire coils and cooling fins reduce energy losses and help the motor hold its peak output longer on brutal climbs, rather than quietly throttling back when things get hot.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 10, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
Along with showcasing the powerful performance, the video features Springsteen’s introduction of the song, which was inspired by ICE’s brutal immigration crackdown in the city, and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The researchers think the reasons the chimpanzees’ social structure dissolved and led to brutal attacks could give clues to the root causes of human violence and war.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutal
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Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
On the thermal side, flat-wire coils and cooling fins reduce energy losses and help the motor hold its peak output longer on brutal climbs, rather than quietly throttling back when things get hot.
—Omar Kardoudi
april 10, New Atlas, 10 Apr. 2026
Along with showcasing the powerful performance, the video features Springsteen’s introduction of the song, which was inspired by ICE’s brutal immigration crackdown in the city, and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The researchers think the reasons the chimpanzees’ social structure dissolved and led to brutal attacks could give clues to the root causes of human violence and war.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brutal
Cite this Entry
“Brutal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brutal. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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