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!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of brute
Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Thousands of scientific minds have, by brute force or something subtler, left the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and academia.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Mihály is a brute who mistreats his mother.
—Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
As the sector transitions from the initial brute-force stage of training large models to the challenge of running them affordably and efficiently on a large scale, designers are dividing into rival factions.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Thousands of scientific minds have, by brute force or something subtler, left the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and academia.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
An extermination of the brutes in the Middle East, presided over by Obama’s successors, has been followed by a swift cancellation by Trumpian decree of the postracial age.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Mihály is a brute who mistreats his mother.
—Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
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Plus, the unknown impact AI will have on SaaS companies casts a brutal shadow over the sector, and the impact on Workday is significantly visible.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
In an ecosystem squeezed by the brutal economics of streaming and the continuing struggles of the theatrical model, far too many worthy films go unsold and unseen.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Many Texas ranchers are also worried about the threat to wildlife such as deer and feral hogs, which can fuel revenue streams through hunting leases.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The family’s oldest child was once forced to watch her cat be mauled to death by feral dogs after she was caught taking food out of the pantry without permission.—
Stephanie Kaloi,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Wild animals had gnawed through the pressurized canisters, releasing the chemicals inside.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As the now-45-year-old driver was announced at each racetrack in 2025, Hamlin, after years of embracing the role of villain in a sport in desperate need of one, had a heel-turn to the light.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Built into an old limestone quarry, the winery felt like a Bond villain’s secret lair—sleek, subterranean, and wildly impressive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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On his second, Dominique pulled off a savage windmill, the same dunk that had earned a perfect score the year before and won him the title.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 10,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Meantime, outflows both from both software and crypto (an asset class most correlated with unprofitable tech stocks) grew excessive until the savage software/bitcoin selloff hit an extreme Thursday, when money came sloshing in to catch the falling knives.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For Trump, nothing — not even peace — transcends his brutish transactionalism.—
Ezra Klein,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But don’t dismiss Ausar as a one-dimensional, brutish player.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Researchers also learned that these 7- to 10-pound creatures, which are not much larger than a house cat, are impressively agile and travel about seven miles a day in extremely rugged territory.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The indentations in the squishy mud harkened to a creature that had webbed toes and distinct claws.—
Sophie Hartley,
IndyStar,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The couple has clearly created a monster.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Or a family battling an evil monster.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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