as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
a novel depicting the brutishness to which a group of schoolboys descend when they are stranded on a deserted island
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Recent Examples of brutishness
Generations of agents, therefore, have had to walk a line between bookishness and brutishness.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutishness
brutality
Noun
-
For a president who frequently threatens his opponents with violence, that brutality is surely part of the allure.—
Bhumika Tharoor,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
In the years since, Corado’s name has become a rallying cry for the local movement against police brutality.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brutishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutishness. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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