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
Alexandra Marvar, AFAR Media, 23 Sep. 2025
Even when hashed with the insecure NTLM function the old authentication uses, such a password would take more than five years for a brute-force attack to exhaust every possible combination.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 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
But a growing tourism segment is veering the other way—toward the unpredictable, awesome brute strength of Mother Nature.
—Alexandra Marvar, AFAR Media, 23 Sep. 2025
Even when hashed with the insecure NTLM function the old authentication uses, such a password would take more than five years for a brute-force attack to exhaust every possible combination.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 18 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
-
The scene, which was not in Stephenie Meyer's 2008 book that the movie was adapted from, raised eyebrows for its brutal killings of vampires Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and Jasper Hale (Jackson Rathbone), as well as werewolves Seth (Booboo Stewart) and Leah Clearwater (Julia Jones).—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In a new era of Steven Knight’s Peaky Blinders, the race to own Birmingham’s massive reconstruction project becomes a brutal contest of mythical dimensions.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 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
-
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
-
Neighbors welcome Elanco to The Valley Seven decades ago, Elanco spun off from drug company Eli Lilly to manufacture medicines for animals instead of humans, including drugs for dogs, cats, cattle, swine and poultry.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, only 29 fatal incidents involving the animals have been recorded in North America since 1868.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Currently, Wiig is in her villain era.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
-
With Ka-young’s help, Iblis is able to destroy the Flower of Eternal Life, which had allowed Khalid to live forever (at least until this point), and the villain fades to dust.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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The singer went viral at Monday night’s show for her seemingly savage reaction to Tori Kelly and Muni Long’s tribute performance.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That life, like Hobbes said, is nasty, brutish, and short.—
Richard Stengel,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
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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Chimpanzees seemed to accept Goodall as one of their own, and the public was fascinated by both her easy familiarity with the creatures as well as her groundbreaking discoveries that showed just how much chimps are like humans.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Whether your child becomes a fantastic creature, a spell-binding witch, or something more run-of-the-mill, their expression of pure imagination is the magic of Halloween.—
Parents Editors,
Parents,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Fan Fest Nights would not be the first time that Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Wolf Man and other classic monsters have shared space with Scooby-Doo and the gang.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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But the trip is going to be an extreme test of fortitude, fate, and faith, evidenced by Lionsgate's preview revealing obstacles including a hellish radiation storm, monster waves, meteors pummeling the Earth, and lethal bands of desperate survivors prowling the continent.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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