1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
brute attacks on innocent civilians
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in feral
having or showing the nature and appetites of a lower animal
a man of brute instinct, he deals with conflict the only way he knows how—by physical force
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in animal
one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings
it is a fundamental sense of right and wrong that separates us from the brutes
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
leave him alone, you brute!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brute
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
The insistence that only brute force can end terrorism ignores a wealth of evidence indicating otherwise.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Dov Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2014
One million doctors to give care, 1.4 million brutes in cubicles doing their best to stop doctors from giving that care.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
Lacking a majority in Parliament, Mr. Yoon needed a military willing to use brute force on his behalf.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
The insistence that only brute force can end terrorism ignores a wealth of evidence indicating otherwise.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
Maliki is a divisive brute whom Iran supports to the hilt.
—Dov Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2014
One million doctors to give care, 1.4 million brutes in cubicles doing their best to stop doctors from giving that care.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
-
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway fared better than the S & P 500 in a brutal week as investors embraced the safety of a cash-rich conglomerate while President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs wreaked havoc on Wall Street.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2025
-
With six games remaining in the regular season — and five of them coming in a brutal seven-day span — the Knicks are suddenly getting healthy at a time when workload management becomes a daily dilemma.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In America alone, there are currently between 60 and 100 million stray and feral cats, completely left to their fate.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
-
South Florida Wildlands Association responded to a comment that the mystery animal could be a feral cat, expressing some of their doubts.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Trump has not previously been counted among the zoo’s critics, who tend to lament the life of captivity suffered by its animals, not their potential indoctrination.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
6 Apr. 2025
-
From more types of materials players could use to build and decorate to more animals that inhabited the world to more biomes for players to explore.—
Issy van der Velde,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Even when a big threat does arrive on the scene, the heroes aren't there right away, so plenty of innocent people get hurt before a villain gets brought to justice.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Whereas Serena could easily have emerged as a one-note villain, from the beginning of her tenure on the series, Strahovski has imbued Serena with a soulfulness that often puts the audience uncomfortably on her side, despite her reprehensible actions.—
Scarlett Harris,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
By the end of the film, Olga is just one more farmer stoically toiling the land in the way that her brutish neighbors have for centuries.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
-
With her nerves already on edge, Blanche is further startled by the arrival of her brother-in-law Stanley, a brutish drunk who has bulldozed his way into Stella’s heart.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
On the way, Elliott hits a baby unicorn with his rental SUV, wounding it, and Ridley touches its horn and forms a trippy spiritual connection with the creature.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Where do the natural wonders of America’s wildlife in its mute creatures—the tortoises, birds, bumblebees, flowers, fish and forests—fit in the fiscal tug-of-war amid current political winners and losers?—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The first major update, aptly titled Title Update 1, is set to be released later this week, and brings new monsters, new activities, and more for players of the game.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
-
White Painted Woman was a model of heroism and honorable womanhood: When evil monsters were hunting the Apache people, the White Painted Woman gave birth to a son who would destroy the creatures to help make Earth inhabitable for humanity.—
Alejandra Rubio,
NPR,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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