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
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
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
These people come at night and take everything with brute force.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
Myriad applications Instead of forcing a brute-strength signal through the water, BlueME utilizes a array of magnetoelectric antennas.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
These people come at night and take everything with brute force.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
Noun
And what better way to force that out of her than to put her up against a brute of a man who has all the confidence in the world?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
-
Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism – a brutal metaphor for the world’s food chain.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
M-44s are designed to kill coyotes, foxes and feral dogs that sometimes prey on sheep and newborn cattle.—
Ted Williams,
Denver Post,
12 June 2026
-
Both are overpopulated with feral and stray animals due to this lack of population management.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
An Irvine animal trainer and his girlfriend were convicted of killing 11 dogs in their care and cremating their bodies to conceal how the pets died.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
McCoy wasn’t sure what killed the animals, but said it was likely tied to the fire in the home.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Her bone-chilling performance earned her the MTV Movie Award for best villain, beating out the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, Mike Myers, Willem Dafoe and Colin Farrell in her category.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
This was my villain origin story.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Harron slyly transforms it into a savage social satire, using the narrator’s unreliable point of view to borderline absurdist effect.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
-
What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
And to complete the old-school feeling, this brutish bulldog is built by AC Cars, one of the world’s longest standing auto manufacturers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 June 2026
-
But when a brutish — and handsome — newcomer named Sir Tristam defeats Sir Palomides in a tournament, Princess Isode finds her plans thwarted.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The show's first season, centered around retirement community residents who band together to discover a dark truth of their community following the sighting of a monstrous creature, was met with positive reviews and has been among the streamer's weekly Top 10 since its premiere.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Keystone herbivore species such as the American bison, elk and mule deer live in grasslands and help to regulate the rich plant biota for other creatures to thrive, Keyser said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The Tribune likened the spectacle to Veeck’s version of Frankenstein’s monster.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
-
With venom and shrewd determination, Nicholson paints his character as a swaggering monster who milks every syllable of his dialogue with vitriolic relish.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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