brutalize

verb

bru·​tal·​ize ˈbrü-tᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce brutalize (audio)
brutalized; brutalizing
Synonyms of brutalizenext

transitive verb

1
: to make brutal, unfeeling, or inhuman
temperaments brutalized by poverty and disease
2
: to treat brutally
an accord not to brutalize prisoners of war
brutalization noun

Examples of brutalize in a Sentence

a young man brutalized by the experience of war The prisoners claimed to have been brutalized by their captors.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This week, as Connecticut residents remain priced out of basic necessities and watch their own government brutalize civilians in the streets, Congress is finally ready to take action — by asking you for $5,000. State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026 Again, not too thick and not too thin, but just right in protecting those tender areas that rental boots tend to brutalize. Jonathan Thompson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026 Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee has been arrested and charged in the murder of his girlfriend, who was found brutalized at a home in Tennessee on Thursday before succumbing to her injuries. Jami Ganz, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026 Former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee has been arrested and charged in the murder of his girlfriend, who was found brutalized at a home in Tennessee on Thursday before succumbing to her injuries. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brutalize

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from French brutaliser, going back to Middle French, from brutal brutal + -iser -ize

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brutalize was circa 1704

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Cite this Entry

“Brutalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brutalize. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.

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