1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
brute attacks on innocent civilians
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in feral
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a man of brute instinct, he deals with conflict the only way he knows how—by physical force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in animal
one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings
it is a fundamental sense of right and wrong that separates us from the brutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
leave him alone, you brute!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brute
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Not softly, but with brute force, with grit and toughness, heart to match his hands.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2025
The novel is often rhapsodic about its alpha brutes, but, toward the end, Frey turns the tables.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
The brute force of the $1 trillion-plus in infrastructure commitments over the next several years has been too much for the immediate skepticism about the unfunded promises and overlapping spender/vendor relationships to offset.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2025
Not softly, but with brute force, with grit and toughness, heart to match his hands.
—Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
The beautiful brute makes more than 850 hp and can be paired with either a manual six-speed transmission or a 10-speed automatic configuration.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2025
The novel is often rhapsodic about its alpha brutes, but, toward the end, Frey turns the tables.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
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This is close and this is intimate, this is brutal and this is hard.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
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The countdown to return the 48 hostages held by Hamas for more than two years and the end to the brutal war in Gaza will officially commence Thursday morning after the Israeli security cabinet and government convene to approve the deal signed overnight.—
Caitlin McFall , Yonat Friling,
FOXNews.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are somewhere between 60 million to 100 million feral cats in the United States, rivaling the number of cozy pets.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
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The roughly 5-month-old kitten got a fresh start after he and his littermates were found living in a colony of feral cats.—
Simone Jasper,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Harwicz’s novels are more hallucinatory than supernatural—but a more provocative distinction between her books and others in this semi-subgenre is that, for her characters, motherhood does not cause animal rage and instability so much as instantiate them.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
8 Oct. 2025
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From animal welfare to AI models, research often frames questions in ways that center human priorities and exclude nonhuman perspectives.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The cast also includes Eugene Byrd as a young version of classic Spider-Man villain Tombstone, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, MCU star Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May, Aleks Le as Amadeus Cho and Jonathan Medina as the villainous Scorpion.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
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The tournaments pit heroes like Liu Kang, Raiden, and Sonya Blade against such villains as Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, and Scorpion.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Trapped in their Hollywood Hills home, a family must fight for survival as a pack of savage coyotes closes in.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
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McBride sets the political context for Swift’s savage indignation by noting that 1727–1729 saw three successive harvest failures in Ireland.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That life, like Hobbes said, is nasty, brutish, and short.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
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Confirmed are the shapeshifting Mystique, the brutish Omega Red, at least one giant mutant-hunting Sentinel, and military organization the Reavers.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Dust mites are tiny creatures that can cause big problems for people with allergies.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
8 Oct. 2025
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This year’s lineup includes towering pumpkin monsters and eerie graveyard creatures, reflecting growing desires for over-the-top decor.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Their 7-3 win over the Cubs in Game 2 of the other NLDS matchup was powered solely by three monster home runs.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Season 3 picks up with the Monster Association arc, as S-class heroes band together to rescue a hostage taken by monsters claiming affiliation with the villainous organization.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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