Synonyms for brutal
ˈbrut lbru·tal

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. brutaladjective

   Synonyms:
   cold-blooded, barbaric, savage, vicious

   Antonyms:
   gentle, kind

2. brutaladjective

   Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel

   Synonyms:
   vicious, barbaric, cold-blooded, savage

   Antonyms:
   gentle, kind

3. brutaladjective

   Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech.

   Synonyms:
   barbaric, savage, cold-blooded, vicious

   Antonyms:
   kind, gentle

4. brutaladjective

   Harsh; unrelenting

   Synonyms:
   barbaric, cold-blooded, savage, vicious

   Antonyms:
   gentle, kind

5. brutaladjective

   Disagreeably precise or penetrating

   Synonyms:
   vicious, savage, cold-blooded, barbaric

   Antonyms:
   gentle, kind

6. brutaladjective

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

   Synonyms:
   barbaric, cold-blooded, savage, vicious

   Antonyms:
   kind, gentle

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. brutal

   Whatever is not civilized is barbarian; barbaric indicates rude magnificence, uncultured richness; as, barbaric splendor, a barbaric melody. Barbarous refers to the worst side of barbarian life, and to revolting acts, especially of cruelty, such as a civilized man would not be expected to do; as, a barbarous deed. We may, however, say barbarous nations, barbarous tribes, without implying anything more than want of civilization and culture. Savage is more distinctly bloodthirsty than barbarous. In this sense we speak of a savage beast and of barbarous usage.

   Synonyms:
   atrocious, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, cruel, inhuman, merciless, rude, savage, uncivilized, uncouth, untamed

   Antonyms:
   civilized, courtly, cultured, delicate, elegant, graceful, humane, nice, polite, refined, tender, urbane

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. brutal

   Synonyms:
   savage, inhuman, rude, unfeeling, merciless, ruthless, brutish, barbarous, sensual, beastly, ignorant, stolid, dense, cruel, violent, vindictive, bloodthirsty, intemperate

   Antonyms:
   humane, civilized, generous, intelligent, polished, chivalrous, conscientious, self-controlled

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.7 / 3 votes

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"

   Synonyms:
   wild, uncivilized, fierce, savage, deplorable, reprehensible, fell, beastly, unrelenting, venomous, criminal, brute(a), condemnable, roughshod, barbaric, evil, feral, cruel, poisonous, barbarous, vicious, furious, ferocious, barbarian, heavy-handed, brutish, bestial, ferine, uncivilised

   Antonyms:
   mild, humane, indirect

2. brutal, unrelentingadjective

   harsh

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

   Synonyms:
   savage, relentless, fell, grim, beastly, unrelenting, stern, brute(a), roughshod, unappeasable, cruel, barbarous, vicious, brutish, unforgiving, inexorable, bestial, persistent

   Antonyms:
   humane, mild, indirect

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"

   Antonyms:
   mild, indirect, humane

4. brutaladjective

   disagreeably direct and precise

   "he spoke with brutal honesty"

   Synonyms:
   brutish, unrelenting, bestial, savage, barbarous, fell, roughshod, cruel, vicious, brute(a), beastly

   Antonyms:
   mild, indirect, humane

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. brutaladjective

   Synonyms:
   savage, ferocious, cruel, inhuman, unfeeling, barbarous, barbarian, fell, barbaric, ruthless, truculent, bloody, brutish, brute

2. brutaladjective

   Synonyms:
   churlish, gruff, bearish, harsh, uncivil, rude, rough, impolite, unmannerly, BRUSQUE, ungentlemanly

3. brutaladjective

   Synonyms:
   gross, coarse, sensual, carnal, brutish, beastly, bestial

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. brutaladjective

   Synonyms:
   inhuman, cruel, fell, ruthless, truculent, unfeeling, beastly, bestial, brutish

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "brutal":

   barbaric, cruel, savage, brutish, abrupt, barbarous, violent, brute, ruthless, vicious, sudden, atrocious, harsh, sharp, rough, blunt, ferocious, gross, wanton, brutality, merciless, callous, heinous

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Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use brutal in a sentence?

1. Wuer Kaixi:

   The reason people still remember (1989), other than the mere importance of it, is also because the Communist Party is still conducting all of these brutal acts and atrocities within China against Uighur people, against Tibetans, Hong Kong, Macau, and even conducting threats against neighboring countries like Taiwan, that will remind people that this regime, todays acts of this regime, is the same regime that massacred peaceful demonstrators 30 years ago.

2. Brett Lopes:

   It's brutal, it doesn't work as well as AC, but it's better than sitting in 100 degrees.

3. Cori Bush:

   Putin’s murderous dictatorship is killing people right now in a brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine, now is the time for us to act with moral clarity. We must use every tool to save lives and promote diplomacy — not military escalation or inhumane sanctions.

4. Mark Milley:

   This is tough stuff, war is hard. It's vicious, it's brutal, it's unforgiving. And yes, we all have pain and anger, and when we see what has unfolded over the last 20 years and over the last 20 days, that creates pain and anger.

5. Justin Amash:

   The brutal killing of George Floyd is merely the latest in a long line of incidents of egregious police misconduct, this pattern continues because police are legally, politically and culturally insulated ... That must change so that these incidents stop happening.