as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
a novel depicting the brutishness to which a group of schoolboys descend when they are stranded on a deserted island
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 brutishness
Generations of agents, therefore, have had to walk a line between bookishness and brutishness.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutishness
brutality
Noun
-
Lee learned much about the systemic oppression that Black Americans faced from his first student, Jesse Glover, who had been a victim of police brutality.
-
These early precedents in fictional brutality also weaken Thomson’s next point, about literature’s superiority.
Cite this Entry
“Brutishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutishness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
