brute

adjective \ ˈbrüt \

|Updated on: 5 Aug 2018

Examples: brute in a Sentence

Definition of brute

1 : of or relating to beasts

the ways of the brute world

2 : inanimate 1a

a brute object

3 : characteristic of an animal in quality, action, or instinct: such as

a : cruel, savage

brute violence

b : not working by reason

brute instinct

4 : purely physical

brute strength

brute force

5 : unrelievedly harsh

brute facts

brute necessity

See brute defined for English-language learners

See brute defined for kids

Examples of brute in a Sentence

They used brute force to open the door.
the brute fact of getting old

Recent Examples of brute from the Web

The reaction takes brute force—up to 250 atmospheres of pressure in the tall, narrow steel reactors—a process first industrialized by German chemist Carl Bosch.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Ammonia—a renewable fuel made from sun, air, and water—could power the globe without carbon," 12 July 2018
Johnson's Will Sawyer is tough as nails, using brute force, blunt instruments and plenty of duct tape to rescue his family from a burning building.

— katie walsh, chicagotribune.com, "'Skyscraper' review: Dwayne Johnson shows off his dramatic acting chops," 11 July 2018
The rebels there are now under pressure to surrender as President Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, uses brute force to continue consolidating his grip on the entire country.

— dov lieber, WSJ, "Russia-Backed Syrian Forces Intensify Assault on Rebel Stronghold," 27 June 2018
The tone appears to have calmed somewhat over recent days, which also brought a poll that suggested the CSU's attempt to use political brute force against Merkel may be backfiring in Bavaria.

— geir moulson, Fox News, "Germany's Merkel faces race against time in migrant standoff," 28 June 2018
And like a hacker, a good picker doesn’t break the lock with brute force but with subtlety and finesse.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Girl Scouts Are Learning to Pick Locks and Hack Computers," 28 June 2018
The tone appears to have calmed somewhat over recent days, which also brought a poll that suggested the CSU’s attempt to use political brute force against Merkel may be backfiring in Bavaria.

— Washington Post, "Germany’s Merkel faces race against time in migrant standoff," 27 June 2018
The suppression of black voting by law and brute force, especially in the South, was a central part of civil rights battles in the 1950s and ′60s.

— richard sandomir, New York Times, "Dorothy Cotton, Rights Champion and Close Aide to King, Dies at 88," 14 June 2018
But in the decades since the Manhattan Project, the enrichment process has gone from a massive, power-hungry, brute-force operation to a sophisticated and potentially clandestine affair.

— umair irfan, Vox, "Uranium enrichment will be a key point in talks with North Korea. Here’s what it is.," 11 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of brute

Middle English, from Middle French brut rough, from Latin brutus brutish, literally, heavy; akin to Latin gravis heavy — more at grieve

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

brute Synonyms

Phrases

red in tooth and claw;

brute

noun

Definition of brute

1 : beast

2 : one who lacks intelligence, sensitivity, or compassion : a brutal person

See brute defined for English-language learners

Examples of brute in a Sentence

Let go of me, you brute!
it is a fundamental sense of right and wrong that separates us from the brutes

Recent Examples of brute from the Web

Not the brainless brutes of our imaginations, Neanderthals apparently used advanced hunting techniques to stalk and kill their prey, a new study suggests.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "How to hunt like a Neanderthal: Ancient humans got up close with their prey," 26 June 2018
Not the brainless brutes of our imaginations, Neanderthals apparently used advanced hunting techniques to stalk and kill their prey, a new study suggests.

— doyle rice, ajc, "How to hunt like a Neanderthal," 26 June 2018
In an era of brute-force micro-messaging, partisanship trumps statesmanship, pandering trumps policymaking.

— nicholas carr, chicagotribune.com, "Is Facebook the problem with Facebook, or is it us?," 10 July 2018
After an ugly televised eviction in the late 1990s, when soldiers hauled off families and bulldozers leveled a whole neighborhood, displaying the occupation’s brute force, liberal Israeli judges and foreign diplomats helped slow the expulsions.

— New York Times, "As Israel Pushes to Build, Bedouin Homes and School Face Demolition," 24 June 2018
The caricature that has emerged of Johnson over the years is something of an unthinking brute, a byproduct of his physical gifts.

— brian costa, WSJ, "Dustin Johnson Opts for Poise Over Power at U.S. Open," 15 June 2018
The notion of the big, animalistic black brute is built into the fabric of American culture.

— jean marbella, baltimoresun.com, "When football teams refuse to play an inner-city powerhouse like St. Frances, is it safety, or bias?," 9 June 2018
Both teams were led by big stars — the Bucks by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known as Lew Alcindor at the time) and the Diamondbacks by Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling — who intimidated opponents with their brute strength and power.

— matt rybaltowski, New York Times, "Vegas Golden Knights Reach Stanley Cup Finals in First Season," 20 May 2018
Occasional misses, killer pie Stanger’s Sonoran sausage ($13) feels like the Sonoran hot dog’s elder brute of a brother.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "Helio Basin Brewing Co. brings Arizona cuisine to Phoenix brewery, but fascinating menu feels out of place," 6 June 2018