brutes

noun

plural of brute
1
as in animals
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

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2
as in villains
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 brutes These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds. — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026 In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-​skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-​skinned developing world. — Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026 The psychology that Bryk wrote for these young men is the key as to why these brutes are more lovable than unbearable. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026 Credit to producers Tim Zinnemann and George Linder for selecting a veritable array of brutes to wage battle with Arnold. — Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025 An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age. — Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 Some are slow and heavy brutes that have tons of health while others are slightly but deal more damage. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutes
  1. animals
  2. villains
  3. creatures
  4. savages
  5. monsters
  6. beasts
  7. criminals
  8. devils
Noun
  • The arthropod group includes animals that are without a backbone or any bones at all, strictly speaking, their bodies being encased in a ringed, exterior tegument and having legs and, sometimes, wings.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In the parking garage, the animals were unfazed by noisy construction and enthusiastic fans.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of animals
Noun
  • Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There are no villains or scary scenes in this gentle story about a young witch finding her way in the world.
    — Anna Earl, Parents, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of villains
Noun
  • Rather than relying on supernatural creatures or elaborate mythology, Fears to Fathom builds suspense around seemingly ordinary situations that take increasingly terrifying turns.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Here are five ways to make your Halloween display friendlier to the creatures that fly, slither and scurry through your yard.
    — Katie Koschalk, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of creatures
Noun
  • And potentially discover treasure that will keep the savages at home from tearing the place down.
    — Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Or a group of shipwrecked boys turning into savages and killing one another?
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Definition of savages
Noun
  • Yet the greatest of these monsters is Poseidon himself, the great disruptor, the earth-shaker and master of the stormy seas.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • First, as medical courier Bryan Hodukavich in Resident Evil, he was forced to contend with an onslaught of mutant zombie monsters.
    — Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of monsters
Noun
  • The stampede of hooves…the trumpeting of beasts… our friends and neighbors changing before our very eyes.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Dangerous donkeys On one side is the public safety crowd, who insist the 500-pound beasts are a menace to the free flow of commerce.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of beasts
Noun
  • That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminals
Noun
  • Researchers have also documented the phenomenon in dogs, Tasmanian devils, and some kinds of clams and other shellfish.
    — Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In 2025, two Tasmanian devils arrived at the Australian Outback exhibit.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of devils

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Cite this Entry

“Brutes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutes. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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