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
The mass deportation is part of a common pattern: North African governments, funded by the European Union to tackle migration, using brutal tactics to block sub-Saharan Africa migrants from heading to Europe.
—
Elian Peltier, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
While many have powerfully argued that no one should be subjected to the broken and brutal deportation system, that is not the approach the City Council took.
—Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
The Vikings had a brutal defense at that point and that did not change until the 2023 season.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
For this is Cave and the Bad Seeds at their finest extremes, back when the brutal theatricality of Cave’s formative crew, the Birthday Party, still infused his music but came with more accomplished structures.
—Spin Editors, SPIN, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brutal 
Elian Peltier, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
While many have powerfully argued that no one should be subjected to the broken and brutal deportation system, that is not the approach the City Council took.
—Peter L. Markowitz, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
The Vikings had a brutal defense at that point and that did not change until the 2023 season.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
For this is Cave and the Bad Seeds at their finest extremes, back when the brutal theatricality of Cave’s formative crew, the Birthday Party, still infused his music but came with more accomplished structures.
—Spin Editors, SPIN, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for brutal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutal
Adjective
-
Avoid harsh or irritating products such as hydroxy acids (AHAs and BHAs) or retinoids.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Ideally, opt for an eco-friendly detergent without harsh chemicals.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 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
-
For instance, an organization that has failed to book enough meetings or acquire enough quality leads with its human SDRs may consider using an AI SDR solution to succeed by brute force (e.g., flooding inboxes with tens of thousands of emails).—
Arjun Pillai,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Yasuke, a physically imposing samurai, is pure brute force, wielding an impossibly huge naginata and kanabō that literally take heads and limbs off with one powerful swing.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Bridges finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field against his old team, and Anunoby scored 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field to go with tough defense on Johnson, who shot an abysmal 6-of-20 from the field for 16 points.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Though not nearly as consequential as Dallas losing Dončić, Minnesota took a tough blow Monday — Donte DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely due to a toe injury.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Social media lit up with outrage directed toward Jubilee for giving voice to a vicious troll.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2025
-
The roughest angle to imposter syndrome seems to be a potentially vicious cycle that can ensue.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Jimmy Garoppolo profited from exposure to 49ers’ system The Commanders, thankfully shorn of the oppressive incompetence of former owner Daniel Snyder, were remade in a year by G.M. Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
21 Jan. 2025
-
The book, taking the form of a fable told in short, single paragraphs, scattershot swatches of wisdom, aphorisms and illustrations, has long been a manual for how to practice togetherness in the face of extreme, oppressive opposition.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
20 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
-
At the end of the day, room could not be found for even Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a past Oscar nominee who swept the major critics awards for her searing turn in Hard Truths, or Angelina Jolie, a past Oscar winner and the A-lister of A-listers, who seemed an early front-runner for the biopic Maria.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Working for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in California’s 1964 Republican presidential primary, the pair ran a searing campaign against Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, falling just shy of an upset.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near brutal
Cite this Entry
“Brutal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutal. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share