brutish

adjective

brut·ish | \ ˈbrü-tish

Definition of brutish

1 : resembling, befitting, or typical of a brute or beast brutish strength brutish violence But its skull is curiously brutish, with thickened braincase walls, massive browridges, and evidence of powerful neck muscles. All in all, H. erectus fits the familiar stereotype of the … caveman.— Matt Cartmill

2a : strongly and grossly sensual brutish gluttony He thinks he is a poetic amorist; he is a brutish sensualist.— Stanley Kauffmann

b : showing little intelligence or sensibility a brutish lack of understanding Life without enlightenment is nasty and brutish, yet it is the natural condition …— Frank Kermode

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Choose the Right Synonym for brutish

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 brutish in a Sentence

She is married to a brutish, drunken slob. as the months of recurrent combat dragged on, the daily existence of the soldiers became increasingly brutish

Recent Examples on the Web Given the state’s brutish political realities — aside from the lack of collaboration between Texas’ largest cities — the book is an act of will. — Greg Jefferson, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 2021 Sorry, but the plodding, brutish playoff teams of the 1990s were bad for the league. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 May 2021 There is a lot to admire about Apple, but my company, Spotify, has seen another, brutish side. — Horacio Gutierrez, WSJ, 17 May 2021 Tiger Girl, the love of his short, brutish life, was born Margaret Messler, the lively daughter of German immigrants. — Edward Kosner, WSJ, 14 Apr. 2021 The referees, Dean Morton and Pierre Lambert, made no call on the play, which had Wilson’s brutish right shoulder hammering Carlo’s head into the glass. — BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2021 For the Biden administration, Saudi Arabia has often been a bad actor, and Prince Mohammed is viewed as a brutish upstart who has been allowed to get away with too many destructive moves. — New York Times, 28 Feb. 2021 Out front in the mid-size luxury SUV segment are performance models such as the exotic Lamborghini Urus and brutish BMW X5 M. Off-roaders such as the legendary Land Rover Defender and tough-as-nails Lexus GX are also available. — Nicholas Wallace, Car and Driver, 23 Mar. 2021 The wretched litany is a nearly Hobbesian nightmare: nasty and brutish, but not short. — Sigrid Macrae, Harper's Magazine, 16 Mar. 2021

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