brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrü-tᵊl 

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 kind …

—John Milton

brutally

ˈbrü-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms of brutal

• harsh
• tough
• oppressive
• searing
• rough
• hard
• severe
• cruel
• grim

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

Because North Dakota winters can be brutal, keep in mind that while the park itself is open 24/7, some visitor centers, roads, and campgrounds may shut down or operate on reduced hours in snowy months. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025

But that trailer wasn’t built to withstand the brutal weather of the Northern Plains. —Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025

Musically, Lee took on the air of a woman revealing intimate truths about herself one year at a time, shedding layers as a way of rewarding patience with honesty, no matter how brutal. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025

White people organized a brutal resistance against Black citizenship, deploying violence and terror to crush Reconstruction. —Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English brutall "like an animal, bestial," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin brūtālis "brutish, bestial," from brūtum "brute beast" (derivative of Latin brūtus "heavy, inert, devoid of intelligence or feeling, brutish") + Latin -ālis -al entry 1 — more at brute entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for brutal

• butyl
• futile
• utile
• dibutyl
• nembutal
• isobutyl

Kids Definition

brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrüt-ᵊl 

: being cruel and inhuman : savage

a brutal attack

brutally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb