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

• bitter
• burdensome
• cruel
• excruciating
• grievous
• grim
• hard
• hardhanded
• harsh
• heavy
• inhuman
• murderous
• onerous
• oppressive
• rough
• rugged
• searing
• severe
• stiff
• tough
• trying

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

Millions of Ukrainians moved abroad to escape Moscow’s brutal bombardment, and of those who stayed, hundreds of thousands of men have traded their jobs for military service. —Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 23 July 2024

At the order of her mother, who is a General in the military of Navarre, Violet enters the brutal ranks of Basgiath War College, which trains up-and-coming riders through the Graduate or Die method. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 22 July 2024

Belgian Holocaust survivor, Lee Mendelson, was among the thousands of orphans who survived this brutal carnage as hidden children throughout the duration of World War II. —Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024

The hypothesis for the downturn was that the team was feeling the effects of a brutal June that gave Baltimore only one day off. —Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 22 July 2024

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

Kids Definition

brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrüt-ᵊl 

: being cruel and inhuman : savage

a brutal attack

brutally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb