1
as in harsh
difficult to endure
brutal hard labor in the hot sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cruel
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a brutal tyrant who drove his country to revolt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brute
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a coarse, brutal man who has no sense of what it means to be refined or sensitive or cultured
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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 brutal
Jason Statham is back with another brutal action flick.
—
Tommy McArdle, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Many Sierra Leoneans fled that brutal war, among them Alphina Kamara (no relation) and Constant Tiafoe.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
That fire, which started in late October, also came during extremely dry conditions — in the fourth year of a brutal drought — and was driven by 50 mph winds blowing from the land toward the ocean.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Turning external pressures into brutal obsessions is a metamorphosis as visceral as that of a younger self bursting forth from your back.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brutal 
Tommy McArdle, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
Many Sierra Leoneans fled that brutal war, among them Alphina Kamara (no relation) and Constant Tiafoe.
—Maya Singer, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025
That fire, which started in late October, also came during extremely dry conditions — in the fourth year of a brutal drought — and was driven by 50 mph winds blowing from the land toward the ocean.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Turning external pressures into brutal obsessions is a metamorphosis as visceral as that of a younger self bursting forth from your back.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brutal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutal
Adjective
-
Florida threatens to lead the nation in state killings now because of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new law, the nation’s harshest, allowing as few as eight of 12 jurors to recommend execution instead of a unanimous verdict.Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2025
-
Advocates and relatives describe harsh conditions in immigration detention.Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
-
In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
This dismissal of Armenian historical ties to the region ignores the profound humanitarian crisis that has ensued and sets a dangerous precedent for conflict resolution through brute force.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
-
Xi’s consolidation of power may offer short-term control and a capacity to achieve certain strategic and technological outcomes through brute force.Jude Blanchette, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Resolutions often fail due to an all-or-nothing mindset full of tough self-criticism.Jane Hanson, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
-
Rempe became a fan favorite in New York as a rookie last season, making a name for himself around the NHL by fighting the league's biggest and toughest stalwarts.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Several fast-growing wildfires fueled by a vicious Southern California wind storm are devastating communities across the Los Angeles region, with homes being burned to the ground and tens of thousands of people evacuating to safety.Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
-
That’s when Evans, in a full sprint, blindsided Lattimore with a vicious hit in the back and knocked him to the ground.Rick Stroud, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But the backdrops are rendered with an oppressive prettiness that has a perverse cheapening effect.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
-
The total absence of shadow is an oppressive sensation, which engenders a feeling similar to that of claustrophobia.New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
-
As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
-
The Brutalist is a Fitzcarraldo fable of artistic endeavor, a universal immigrant tale and a searing indictment of capitalism Jones plays opposite Brody as Tóth’s wife, Erzsébet, in an indelible portrait of a woman physically broken by war who remains resolutely unbroken in spirit.Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 5 Jan. 2025
-
The nearly three-hour podcast was a perfect storm of virality: comedy, conspiracy, and searing insult, leaving the internet in tatters.Rob Marriott, VIBE.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near brutal
Cite this Entry
“Brutal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutal. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share