brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrü-tᵊl 

1

: suitable to one who lacks intelligence, sensitivity, or compassion : befitting a brute: such as

a

: cruel, cold-blooded

a brutal attack

b

: harsh, severe

brutal weather

c

: unpleasantly accurate and incisive

the brutal truth

d

: very bad or unpleasant

a brutal mistake

e

: grossly ruthless or unfeeling

a brutal slander

2

archaic : typical of beasts : animal

thee, Serpent … to me so friendly grown above the rest of brutal kind

—John Milton

brutally

ˈbrü-tᵊl-ē 

adverb

Synonyms

• bitter
• burdensome
• cruel
• excruciating
• grievous
• grim
• hard
• hardhanded
• harsh
• heavy
• inhuman
• murderous
• onerous
• oppressive
• rough
• rugged
• searing
• severe
• stiff
• tough
• trying

Choose the Right Synonym for brutal

brutal, brutish, bestial, feral mean characteristic of an animal in nature, action, or instinct.

brutal applies to people, their acts, or their words and suggests a lack of intelligence, feeling, or humanity.

a senseless and brutal war

brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

Examples of brutal in a Sentence

Sailors sometimes faced brutal punishments like whipping.

a brutal struggle for survival in the wilderness

The writer describes the dangers of drugs with brutal honesty.

The movie is a brutal depiction of the war.

The traffic was brutal on the way to work.

I had a brutal headache this morning.

Recent Examples on the Web

Relentless and wildly entertaining, Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s action thriller is the most brutal fight film in years. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 17 Apr. 2024

And in a weird, twisted way, Klay Thompson’s absolutely brutal 0-for-10, getting-burned-on-the-perimeter-by-Trey-Lyles game could prove to benefit the Warriors. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024

Sawai understood why her character undertook the brutal act. —Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

The intoxicating high of passion quickly descends into a brutal chaos that can only end one way. —Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024

War in Gaza stokes controversy worldwide Controversies over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict have been amplified since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched a brutal attack on Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024

Mired in a brutal war in Gaza and beset by international condemnation, Israel had a single day of undisputed victory this weekend. —Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024

Advertisement But the landscape changed on June 17, 1994, the day of the wild slow-speed police chase on the freeways of Los Angeles of Simpson in his white Bronco, two days after the brutal slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Butler had eight, Adebayo two in that brutal first half. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin brutalis, from Latin brutus — more at brute

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

brutal

adjective

bru·​tal ˈbrüt-ᵊl 

: being cruel and inhuman : savage

a brutal attack

brutally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb