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

After decades of conflict with Beijing over discrimination and suppression of their cultural identity, the Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem a genocide. —Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025

The elites got out of positions quickly, while retail investors were left twiddling their thumbs and absorbing brutal losses. —Trent Hoerr, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

External support for Assad, particularly from Russia and Iran, bolstered regime confidence, while brutal crackdowns on early dissent discouraged uprisings within military ranks. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Action icon Donnie Yen (John Wick: Chapter 4) directs and stars in this brutal revenge story about a former prosecutor determined to exact justice. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English brutall "like an animal, bestial," borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin brūtālis "brutish, bestial," from brūtum "brute beast" (derivative of Latin brūtus "heavy, inert, devoid of intelligence or feeling, brutish") + Latin -ālis -al entry 1 — more at brute entry 1

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