1

brute

adjective \ ˈbrüt \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 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 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
The Cameroonian military responded to the protests with brute force.

— siobhán o'grady, Washington Post, "Africa’s next civil war could be in Cameroon," 30 May 2018
Breaking that protection via brute force would take an unimaginable amount of time.

— louise matsakis, WIRED, "How WIRED Lost $100,000 in Bitcoin," 28 May 2018
Other countries have changed laws in light of technological advances that have made many jobs safer and less reliant on brute force, or have seen courts overturn bans as discriminatory.

— The Economist, "Labour laws in 104 countries reserve some jobs for men only," 26 May 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

Synonyms

atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, butcherly, cruel, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, savage, truculent, vicious, wanton;

Antonyms

benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted;

Near Antonyms

tender, warm, warmhearted;

charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying;

pacific, peaceable, peaceful;

Related Words

hard-hearted, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, unfeeling;

fell, ferocious, grim;

bloodthirsty, cutthroat, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine;

catty, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vindictive;

draconian, draconic, hardhanded, harsh, heavy-handed, oppressive;

Phrases

red in tooth and claw;

2

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

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
If the sight of 30 cartoon-character brutes attempting to chuck each other to the ground doesn’t quite tickle your funny bone, Philly Improv Theater is offering its own alternatives.

— shaun brady, Philly.com, "Royal Rumble: Everything you need to know about the WWE's main event and more," 24 Jan. 2018
Fans of the hulking now undead brute, The Mountain (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) have the most to gain or lose with 150-to-1 odds.

— matthew wilson, USA TODAY, "Who will win 'Game of Thrones'? Fans are already betting," 5 June 2018
In ancient, barbaric days when local vassals managed petite armies, brute knights often swept into villages, declaring the inhabitants subject to new laws and new lords before riding off again with the changing of the season.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "Electric Scooters Are the Cargo Shorts of Transportation," 31 May 2018
The second-gen model is designed better than before, with a smaller interior footprint, easier installation and resistance against brute-force attacks.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "CNET: Meet The Smartest Locks On The Block," 30 May 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

brute Synonyms

Synonyms

baddie (or baddy), beast, devil, evildoer, fiend, heavy, hound, knave, meanie (also meany), miscreant, monster, nazi, no-good, rapscallion, rascal, reprobate, rogue, savage, scalawag (or scallywag), scamp, scoundrel, varlet, villain, wretch;

Near Antonyms

angel, innocent, saint;

Related Words

criminal, crook, culprit, felon, lawbreaker, malefactor, offender, perp, perpetrator, transgressor;

sinner, trespasser, wrongdoer;

cad, heel, serpent, snake, viper;

bandit, bravo, desperado, outlaw;

con, convict, jailbird;

assassin, cutthroat, gangster, goon, gunman, hoodlum, hooligan, racketeer, ruffian, thug;

rough, rowdy, tough;

loser, lowlife, ne'er-do-well, stinker, trash;

BRUTE Defined for English Language Learners

brute

adjective

Definition of brute for English Language Learners

: very strong or forceful
: very harsh

brute

noun

Definition of brute for English Language Learners

: a cruel, rough, or violent man

BRUTE Defined for Kids

1

brute

adjective \ ˈbrüt \

Definition of brute for Students

: typical of beasts : like that of a beast

We used brute force to open the door.

2

brute

noun

Definition of brute for Students

1 : a four-footed animal especially when wild

2 : a cruel or rough person

Learn More about brute

See words that rhyme with brute Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brute Spanish Central: Translation of brute Nglish: Translation of brute for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of brute for Arabic speakers

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