plural brutes
: a cruel, rough, or violent man
Let go of me, you brute!
Note: Brute originally meant the same as beast but is used now to refer to a person who is like a beast.
always used before a noun
1
: very strong or forceful
They used brute force to open the door.
brute strength
2
: very harsh
the brute fact of getting old
brute necessity
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/brute. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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