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
Relevance
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!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 brute
Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
As the team explains, their solution isn’t about brute-force simulating everything, but rather focusing on what actually matters.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026
David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
Robot relief begins Early customer deployments show that offloading humans from the brute-force, repetitive task of unloading trailers frees them to handle other bottlenecks.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
Wilkens grew up in the 1970s and early ’80s in Kellyville, a no-stoplight town, where her father’s moodiness and brute discipline dominated the household.
—Pamela Colloff, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
As the team explains, their solution isn’t about brute-force simulating everything, but rather focusing on what actually matters.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
As usual, Lang plays the brute’s Heart of Darkness–esque descent into madness with gleeful relish.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2025
Robot relief begins Early customer deployments show that offloading humans from the brute-force, repetitive task of unloading trailers frees them to handle other bottlenecks.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
-
But the timing of this meltdown was brutal.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando City heads west after a two-week break, trying to snap out of a brutal early-season slump, but the Lions face a steep climb against a Los Angeles FC squad that hasn’t conceded a goal this year.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
No faction is more divided than the British, however, with benign diplomat Thomas Hopkins (Billy Howle) at odds with the almost feral Army captain Orde Wingate (Aramayo), reputed father of the modern IDF.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Evil Kirk is a frightening, primal menace, skulking around the corridors like a feral beast, chugging brandy and assaulting Yeoman Rand with no conscience.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An account on the social media platform X, purporting to be Jonathan's veterinarian Joe Hollins, posted an announcement that the animal had died at age 193.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Scythia’s plants are its animals, and vice versa, blooming and breeding in alternate generations.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Then there’s Haim, so full of venom and vitriol, who depending on one’s perspective is low-key the hero or villain of the film.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Javier Bardem’s Oscar-winning performance as Anton Chigurh in the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men remains an iconic villain turn 20 years later.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Conan O'Brien hit almost every note on Sunday — savage, playful, heartfelt and dumb.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The San Diego task force now en route to the Middle East is composed of three bulky and brutish vessels.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Season 2 springboards on Fisk’s strongarm rule and his mandate to clean up the streets of rebels via his brutish Anti-Vigilante Task Force, which rounds up people – echoing recent INS maneuvers – and shoves them into deplorable conditions and cages.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trying to reach for that classic creature feature, Cinemascope, old Hollywood vibe.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
One by one, its resident creatures began to die.—
Phillip Valys,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In Nuremberg,Göring is closer to a sad clown than to a monster.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
For the non-Nintendo among us, Bowser is Mario’s enemy, a fire-breathing monster and leader of the Koops.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
