What does brutal mean?

Definitions for brutal
ˈbrut lbru·tal

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word brutal.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage, viciousadjective

    (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

    "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks"

  2. brutal, unrelentingadjective

    harsh

    "the brutal summer sun"; "a brutal winter"

  3. beastly, bestial, brute(a), brutish, brutaladjective

    resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility

    "beastly desires"; "a bestial nature"; "brute force"; "a dull and brutish man"; "bestial treatment of prisoners"

  4. brutaladjective

    disagreeably direct and precise

    "he spoke with brutal honesty"

Wiktionary

  1. brutaladjective

    Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel

  2. brutaladjective

    Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech.

  3. brutaladjective

    Harsh; unrelenting

  4. brutaladjective

    Disagreeably precise or penetrating

  5. brutaladjective

    In extreme metal, to describe the speed of the music and the density of riffs.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Brutaladjective

    Etymology: brutal, Fr. from brute.

    There is no opposing brutal force to the stratagems of human reason. Roger L'Estrange.

    The brutal bus’ness of the war
    Is manag’d by thy dreadful servants’ care. Dryden.

ChatGPT

  1. brutal

    Brutal refers to behavior or actions that are extremely cruel, violent, harsh, or severe. It can also describe a situation or conditions that are extremely unpleasant or discomforting.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Brutaladjective

    of or pertaining to a brute; as, brutal nature

  2. Brutaladjective

    like a brute; savage; cruel; inhuman; brutish; unfeeling; merciless; gross; as, brutal manners

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of brutal in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of brutal in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of brutal in a Sentence

  1. Marco Rubio:

    Cuba is a brutal, tyrannical dictatorship 90 miles from the shore of our country.

  2. Gabriel Attal:

    If we don’t do [the reforms] today, it’s much more brutal measures that we will have to do in future.

  3. Andy Hall:

    Last month was brutal for most commodities and anyone investing in Middle East producers.

  4. General Milley:

    I am outraged by the senseless and brutal killing of George Floyd. George Floyd death amplified the pain, the frustration, and the fear that so many of African Americans live with day in, day out, the protests that have ensued not only speak to George Floyd killing, but also to the centuries of injustice toward African Americans.

  5. Karine Jean-Pierre:

    We believe by the decision that OPEC+ made last week, [Saudi Arabia is] certainly aligning themselves with Russia, and right now, this is not the time to be aligning with Russia, especially with this brutal, unprecedented war that they started in Ukraine.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

brutal#1#9271#10000

Translations for brutal

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"brutal." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 20 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/brutal>.

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    the largest tarsal bone; forms the human heel
    A hypostatization
    B profaneness
    C scalawag
    D calcaneus

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