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
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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
Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
The Pistons are young, competitive, brute, have already formed one of the league’s most in-your-face identities and now have experience, too.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
Smith has been on the outer of the Australian team in the T20 format, his weakest format where his lack of power can get exposed in a game dotted by muscular brutes.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Adjective
Forces allied with the government and armed civilians responded with brute force.
—Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
The Pistons are young, competitive, brute, have already formed one of the league’s most in-your-face identities and now have experience, too.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
The same Cromwellian brutes that persecuted witches in the English village of Warboys in 1589 are alive and well today to bully LGBTQ folks, immigrants, physicians trying to save lives of pregnant women and even scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 21 Jan. 2025
Smith has been on the outer of the Australian team in the T20 format, his weakest format where his lack of power can get exposed in a game dotted by muscular brutes.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brute
Adjective
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Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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But having to show up to the theater every day and try to control this wild, feral animal that is Cole Escola's Mary Todd Lincoln has been the greatest challenge of my life.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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From then on, the young cat was brought into Sarah's home, where Sarah spent time and patience in trying to get the feral cat to become confident around humans.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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All the animals, including Thunder, were seized and the homeowner was charged with felony animal cruelty and three counts of confining animals without proper food, care, and sustenance, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
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Experts recommend starting with some scent swapping—using blankets or toys to familiarize the existing pet and the incoming animal with each other's smell—before allowing visual contact.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Noun
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New threats emerge, including a ruthless new villain (Bill Skarsgård) and a blind assassin from Wick’s past, played by Donnie Yen in a standout performance.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
6 June 2025
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Nicholas Hoult plays the film’s villain, the megalomaniac super-genius Lex Luthor.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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In a rare moment of vulnerability, Xan then gives voice to the deep well of shame and self-hate that bubbles beneath his and his brother’s brutish veneer.—
Bartolomeo Sala,
The Dial,
27 Mar. 2025
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Some are pretty, some are brutish, but all of them represent a slice of time and technology that contribute to their intrigue.—
Christian Gilbertsen,
Robb Report,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The vulpine creature was first described by Charles Darwin in 1834 on Chile’s Chiloé Island.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2025
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Stone Age hunter-gatherers may have been particularly interested in sperm whale skeletons, because the creatures are the only toothed species of the group, featuring long, straight jaw bones—perfect for crafting hunting tools, the researchers write in the paper.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 May 2025
Noun
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The message of Bring Her Back may be that grief is the real monster.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Almost anyone 18 and older that appears onscreen is a monster here, and anyone younger is either prey or a means to an end.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brute. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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