brutalize

verb

bru·​tal·​ize ˈbrü-tᵊl-ˌīz 

brutalized; brutalizing

transitive verb

1

: to make brutal, unfeeling, or inhuman

temperaments brutalized by poverty and disease

2

: to treat brutally

an accord not to brutalize prisoners of war

brutalization

ˌbrü-tᵊl-ə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms of brutalize

• humiliate
• dehumanize
• poison

Examples of brutalize in a Sentence

a young man brutalized by the experience of war

The prisoners claimed to have been brutalized by their captors.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nate was a compelling, complex antagonist for Euphoria’s first two seasons, but this season has seen the man brutalized by frightening criminals who make his mind games look like child’s play. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026

While Roger Federer is depicted as James Bond, in a tux, elegant and wrinkle-free, Nadal is called Rambo, ripped and relentless, brutalizing the ball and opponents alike. —Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Now eighteen of those 37 residents are filing complaints under the Federal Tort Claims Act, saying they were unlawfully arrested and brutalized by federal agents during the military-style raid. —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 13 May 2026

Enslaved people were often punished, beaten, or further brutalized for showing emotion, grieving openly or resisting in visible ways. —Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French brutaliser, going back to Middle French, from brutal brutal + -iser -ize

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brutalize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies