BRUTAL Synonyms: 196 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'brutal' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of brutal are bestial , brutish , and feral . While all these words 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

Q: When would 'bestial' be a good substitute for 'brutal'?

The words bestial and brutal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts. // bestial depravity

Q: In what contexts can 'brutish' take the place of 'brutal'?

The words brutish and brutal can be used in similar contexts, but brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct. // brutish stupidity

Q: When is 'feral' a more appropriate choice than 'brutal'?

Although the words feral and brutal have much in common, feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals. // the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

brutal

adjective

ˈbrü-tᵊl

Definition of brutal next

as in harsh

difficult to endure brutal hard labor in the hot sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective brutal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of brutal are bestial, brutish, and feral. While all these words 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

When would bestial be a good substitute for brutal?

The words bestial and brutal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bestial suggests a state of degradation unworthy of humans and fit only for beasts.

bestial depravity

In what contexts can brutish take the place of brutal?

The words brutish and brutal can be used in similar contexts, but brutish stresses likeness to an animal in low intelligence, in base appetites, and in behavior based on instinct.

brutish stupidity

When is feral a more appropriate choice than brutal?

Although the words feral and brutal have much in common, feral suggests the savagery or ferocity of wild animals.

the struggle to survive unleashed their feral impulses

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 Since then, new debates about Confederate monuments erupted in violence at Charlottesville, Va., and the brutal murder of George Floyd made clear that the legacy of slavery persists in deadly and dangerous ways. —

Ana Lucia Araujo / Made By History, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 My charade, as her wealth of Los Angeles information, was doomed from the start, exposed during a particularly brutal bout of freeway traffic. —

Theo Lee, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024 In The Substance, Moore gets to train all that doubt, anxiety, and fear back on the industry and fire away with brutal force. —

Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024 In the two decades since, papers have faced brutal newsroom reductions (in 2020, 33% of large newspapers cut staff) and ownership quandaries (many have been sold off, some to venture capitalists more interested in the papers’ real estate than their journalistic value). —

Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brutal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutal

Adjective

Trump has promised to enact a new fiscal and economic regime, including harsh tariffs that some economists fear could have inflationary effects.

Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
November is here, and with its arrival comes cooler, harsher weather.

Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024