Synonyms of brutality

brutality

noun

brü-ˈta-lə-tē 

1

as in cruelty

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others

the police were accused of brutality for using excessive force in making arrests

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cruelty
• atrocity
• savagery
• barbarity
• inhumanity
• savageness
• sadism
• murderousness
• heartlessness
• cruelness
• viciousness
• fiendishness
• barbarousness
• ruthlessness
• truculence
• inhumanness
• wantonness
• oppressiveness
• mercilessness
• atrociousness
• meanness
• ferocity
• ferociousness
• grimness
• pitilessness
• fierceness
• bloodthirstiness
• malevolence
• spitefulness
• bloodlust
• hatefulness
• maliciousness
• hard-heartedness
• unfeelingness
• harshness
• sanguinity
• malignity
• heavy-handedness
• nastiness
• fellness
• sanguineness
• despitefulness
• cattiness
• hardhandedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathy
• humanity
• compassion
• kindness
• humaneness
• tenderness
• benignity
• warmth
• tenderheartedness
• warmness
• kindheartedness
• good-heartedness
• mercy
• pity
• leniency
• clemency
• warmheartedness
• charitableness
• mercifulness

2

as in brutishness

the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal

the disconcerting ease with which the people adopted the brutality of the enemy invaders

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cruelty
• brutishness
• animalism
• bestiality
• animality
• beastliness
• barbarity
• sensuality
• physicality
• savagery
• rudeness
• carnality
• swinishness
• sadism
• boorishness
• viciousness
• crudeness
• grossness
• coarseness
• loutishness
• wantonness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• spirituality
• intellectuality
• nobility
• magnanimity
• compassion
• kindness
• benevolence
• beneficence
• benignity
• kindliness
• high-mindedness
• greatheartedness
• tenderheartedness
• kindheartedness
• good-heartedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of brutality

By giving Helen a conspicuous scar, Nolan shows that even the most coveted woman on the planet is not immune to mankind’s brutality. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 21 July 2026

The three of us spoke for a while about the brutality of politics these days. — Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

However, the film makes only passing mention of specifics, like the Khalistan separatist movement which forms the story’s backdrop, giving local police and politicians carte blanche for their brutality (and their persecution of Khalra). — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 July 2026

Not a particularly easy watch, to say the least, the complexly plotted film leans into the madness, and intense brutality experienced by the characters. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026