brutal

adjective

Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.

Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech.

Harsh; unrelenting.

Direct and without attempt to disguise unpleasantness.

Disagreeably precise or penetrating.

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

Roots

brutusbrut- · Latin · dull, beastly

Synonyms for brutal

crueladj brutishadj viciousadj barbarousadj beastlyadv bestialadj savageadj mercilessadj ruthlessadj pitilessadj remorselessadj ferociousadj barbaricadj inhumanadj inhumaneadj atrociousadj harshadj

Synonyms & related words for brutal

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of brutal — including cruel, brutish, vicious, barbarous, beastly, bestial. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to brutal

Explore words related to brutal — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include roughshod, unrelenting, boarish, brutally, brutality, unmerciful, unmercifulness, cruelness. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for brutal

Common synonyms for brutal include cruel, brutish, vicious, barbarous, beastly, bestial, savage, merciless — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does brutal come from?

The word brutal breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root brut-, from Latin brutus (“dull, beastly”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.