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

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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

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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

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2
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person leave him alone, you brute!

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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
As the Starlink signal is almost impossible to disrupt by jamming, the idea that Russia might consider wiping the megaconstellation out by brute force didn't seem impossible. — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 8 July 2026 The broader implication is that AI infrastructure is no longer evolving solely toward brute-force scale. — Christian Pusateri, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
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 This time the closing hole was a brute, the toughest at Harbour Town on Sunday. — ABC News, 19 Apr. 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
  • San Francisco has already seen right-hander Hayden Birdsong undergo Tommy John surgery earlier this year, and losing McDonald for an extended period of time would be another brutal blow for the pitching staff.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • This thing—the military—aims, at least in Harlow’s eyes, to turn boys into tools for brutal battlefield aims.
    — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Maritime travel dispersed rodents and feral pigs across countless island ecosystems.
    — Elan Abrell, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • The main threats to the slow-moving species include fires, drought, feral dogs, cats, dingoes and foxes, with three echidna species classified as critically endangered and vulnerable.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of feral
Noun
  • Scientists like Munster are indispensable for figuring out the source of pandemic viruses, whether bats, pigs, rats, or some other animal, Andersen said.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • In addition to the startling experience of touching the remains of an animal that lived hundreds of millions of years ago, contact with the Mastodonsaurus offers an opportunity to reflect on the future, those involved in the project said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
Definition of animal
Noun
  • The Modi government has portrayed the demonstrators as villains.
    — Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 July 2026
  • In the comic, twin brothers Sean and Chris learn their bodies have been enhanced by nanotechnology, thrusting them into a fight against the villain Deadalus within a futuristic world where nature and technology exist side by side.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 July 2026
Definition of villain
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Nolan delivers one fantastical set piece after another to test Matt Damon’s Odysseus, while keeping the audience equally compelled by the palace intrigue back at Ithaca as Anne Hathaway’s Penelope holds off a brutish gaggle of suitors.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • If the end was coming for me now, to rescind all the grace I’d been given, then the tractor was a brutish way to go.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of brutish
Noun
  • Ayres noted a large wound on the fish’s body before the impact, which hinted that the orcas feasted on the creature before slamming it to pieces.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • In 2024 hundreds of community scientists participated in Hartstone-Rose’s research project, making note of how animals around them behaved during the solar eclipse—from pets to farm animals to wild creatures.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 July 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • Inside a San Fernando workshop, Samuel McBride makes movie monsters come to life for the camera.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • In his fullest public argument yet about his thinking, Thiel and co-author Sam Wolfe write the figure of ultimate evil is best understood not as a monster or a tyrant but as a technocrat.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 July 2026
Definition of monster

Browse Nearby Words

brutally
brute
brutes
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Cite this Entry

“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of brute for Spanish Speakers

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