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

The duo's travails are just two of the myriad stories, with 170 speaking parts, in the often brutal tale of post-Civil War westward expansion. —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024

At the top of the episode, the 13-year-old was asked by Sigler what it’s been like since her mom began to feel the sometimes brutal impact of the disorder. —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 June 2024

Mu’s fall underlined the sometimes brutal nature of the US Olympic trials, which dictate that only the top three finishers will make the team for an individual event, regardless of an athlete’s pedigree and past results. —George Ramsay, CNN, 25 June 2024

Here are this morning's top stories so far: A long list of missteps: Five and a half years ago, Mary Spalding went to get a pair of socks from the basement of her home and ended up in the hospital following a brutal assault. —Keisha Rowe, The Courier-Journal, 24 June 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