brute 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbrüt How to pronounce brute (audio)
Definition of brutenext
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

Relevance

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

brute

2 of 2

noun

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!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brute
Adjective
Both players thrive with attacking the basket with their brute strength and methodical patience. — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 There is a fallacy in thinking of languages as brute and unchanging facts, laid out distinctly like elements in the periodic table. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Noun
Even the consumer-level codes that encrypt your online banking are so hard to break that every computer on the planet working together would need longer than the age of the universe to brute-force them apart. — David M. Ewalt, Scientific American, 19 May 2026 Oscillating between a bumbling brute and an ironic ignoramus, Marvel Studios sees the God of Thunder more like the God of Blunder, kicking out the knees of the steady 2011 film in favour of single-digit IQ humour. — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
  1. brutal
  2. feral
  3. animal
  4. villain
  5. savage
  6. brutish
  7. creature
  8. monster
Adjective
  • The Braves have Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy atop their catching depth chart, but a brutal injury setback involving veteran backstop Sandy Leon has now forced the organization to seek out another experienced option.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Micron, as well as South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics — the world's three major DRAM producers — had competed largely on price, contributing to the brutal boom-and-bust cycles that have long characterized the industry.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • After that feral beginning, the rest of the album is mostly contemplative, wistful, and understated, amid cascading guitars and various sounds that are at times acoustic or gently swirling.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
  • And while Shaq stalking pigs in the dark makes for entertaining content, knocking down feral hogs in Texas is also doing landowners a favor.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of feral
Noun
  • Students in Poway High’s agricultural program have the opportunity to raise a variety of small and large animals and participate in competitions at the San Diego County Fair and Ramona Junior Fair each summer.
    — Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Herding is a livelihood designed for high temperatures – the animals can be moved to where there’s food and water as needed.
    — Anne Pisor, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of animal
Noun
  • Furious drops the ball a bit in the interactions with Emma and Jay Easton, turning them into one-dimensional caricatures instead of complex villains, but honestly, this show isn’t really about them.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Saoirse Ronan is ready to step into the dark side and is doubling down on wanting to play a villain in the James Bond universe.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Adjective
  • Cole, who has to maneuver his way around 20 savage crew members, each of whom will need to be killed, doesn’t waste a homicidal movement.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The savage battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa had already demonstrated the ferocity with which Japanese forces would defend their homeland.
    — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Disheveled and brutish, Niaz is routinely greeted by his peers with wariness and surprise, his star faded by what is heavily suggested to be his own doing.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Equally, whereas the styling of the Valour and Valiant was inspired by the past—notably the brutish 1977 V8 Vantage—this Aston Martin looks far more futuristic.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutish
Noun
  • Her daughter, who is an animal lover, has learned about marine creatures by scuba diving and going on submarine rides on their trips.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The apocalypse isn’t frightening because of zombies or some fantastical creature.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • Trying to clear his name, Eddie Brock is hunted by a monster sent by the creator of the symbiotes, only to uncover a secret operation in Area 51 to harvest the creatures and exploit them.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The league is hurtling toward an ugly lockout, with owners preparing to cry poverty and demand a hard salary cap to stop the spending monster in Southern California.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster

Browse Nearby Words

brutally
brute
brutes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cogent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All