brutality

bru·tal·i·ty

noun \brü-ˈta-lə-tē\

plural bru·tal·i·ties

Definition of BRUTALITY

1

: the quality or state of being brutal

2

: a brutal act or course of action

Examples of BRUTALITY

1. the brutalities of a prison
2. <the police were accused of brutality for using excessive force in making arrests>

First Known Use of BRUTALITY

1549

Related to BRUTALITY

Synonyms

atrociousness, atrocity, barbarity, barbarousness, cruelty, cruelness, fiendishness, heartlessness, inhumanity, inhumanness, sadism, savageness, savagery, truculence, viciousness, wantonness

Antonyms

benignity, compassion, good-heartedness, humaneness, humanity, kindheartedness, kindness, sympathy, tenderheartedness

Related Words

hard-heartedness, mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, unfeelingness; fellness, ferociousness, ferocity, fierceness, grimness; bloodlust, bloodthirstiness, murderousness, sanguineness, sanguinity; cattiness, despitefulness, hatefulness, malevolence, maliciousness, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spitefulness; hardhandedness, harshness, heavy-handedness, oppressiveness

Near Antonyms

tenderness, warmheartedness, warmness, warmth; charitableness, clemency, leniency, mercifulness, mercy, pity

Rhymes with BRUTALITY

anality, banality, carnality, causality, centrality, extrality, fatality, feudality, finality, formality, frontality, frugality, legality, lethality, locality, mentality, modality, morality, mortality, nasality, natality, neutrality, nodality, orality, plurality, primality, rascality, reality, regality, rurality, sodality, tonality, totality, venality, vitality, vocality