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
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
For example, the antagonistic alien brute Captain Gantu is left out.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 May 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
The same Cromwellian brutes that persecuted witches in the English village of Warboys in 1589 are alive and well today to bully LGBTQ folks, immigrants, physicians trying to save lives of pregnant women and even scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
His brute force and scoring touch were the perfect blend of physicality and finesse Florida needed and a dominant style of game that carries over into the postseason.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025
For example, the antagonistic alien brute Captain Gantu is left out.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 May 2025
Noun
Slinging a sports coat over his pajamas, Long pulls up to a curb and finds Tay (Dustin Nguyen), the Vietnamese speaker, plus two silent brutes, Eddie (Phi Vu) and Aden (Dali Benssalah), who muscle into his car and take over everything: the seating arrangements, the air freshener and their driver.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025
The same Cromwellian brutes that persecuted witches in the English village of Warboys in 1589 are alive and well today to bully LGBTQ folks, immigrants, physicians trying to save lives of pregnant women and even scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
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That was a brutal era of NBA basketball where the winning final score sometimes didn’t hit 80.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2025
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Jasmin Paris, who in 2024 became one of only 20 people ever to finish the brutal 100-mile Barkley Marathons race in under 60 hours —while pumping breast milk.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement Dawn of the Dead (1978) There's a credible case to be made that Romero's 1973 movie The Crazies, about a biological weapon that causes residents of a small town to go feral, qualifies as a zombie movie.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
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There are tribes of fast, feral predators that resemble the second coming of neanderthals.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The critically praised 2024 TIFF premiere — a survival action-thriller set after a plague has destroyed animal life on Earth — doesn’t open nationally until July 2.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 June 2025
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Answer: Shiz University What kind of animal is Dr. Dillamond?—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Welcome to the Post-Trust Era A social media app isn’t the villain.—
Ankush Chowdhary,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Clayface is shape-shifting villain in the Batman comics and got his introduction as part of Detective Comics #40 in June 1940.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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In Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, Forest have two brutish, aerially dominant centre-backs, but that did not prevent Tottenham from launching crosses into the box.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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In a rare moment of vulnerability, Xan then gives voice to the deep well of shame and self-hate that bubbles beneath his and his brother’s brutish veneer.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Even more astonishing, the largest migration on Earth occurs daily as deep-sea creatures rise to the surface under cover of night to make their way to other areas.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Ultimately, this first installment has laid the foundation for the theme of nature vs. nurture and answering the age old question of whether man and creature can get along.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Aptly credited, The Stranger (Brian Villalobos) is only part of that problem and not the centerpiece practical effects portion of this film that monster fans should look forward to.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
8 June 2025
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These are no longer simple monster features with slight tints of horror.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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