Word Study
brutal
CIDE DICTIONARY
- Of or pertaining to a brute; as, brutal nature. Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Like a brute; savage; cruel; inhuman; brutish; unfeeling; merciless; gross; as, brutal manners. Macaulay. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
brutal, adj.
1 savagely or coarsely cruel.
2 harsh, merciless.
1 savagely or coarsely cruel.
2 harsh, merciless.
Derivative
brutality n. (pl. -ies). brutally adv.
Etymology
F brutal or med.L brutalis f. brutus BRUTE
THESAURUS
brutal
Adamic, Circean, Draconian, Gothic, Herculean, Neanderthal, Tartarean, abominable, abstruse, animal, animalian, animalic, animalistic, anthropophagous, arduous, arrant, atrocious, awful, baneful, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, base, beastlike, beastly, beneath contempt, bestial, bitter, blameworthy, bloodthirsty, bloody, bloody-minded, bodily, boorish, brutalized, brute, brutelike, brutish, cannibalistic, carnal, carnal-minded, coarse, cold-blooded, complex, contemptible, crass, critical, crude, cruel, cruel-hearted, deadly, death-bringing, deathful, deathly, delicate, demanding, demoniac, demoniacal, deplorable, despicable, destructive, detestable, devilish, diabolic, difficile, difficult, dire, disgusting, dreadful, dumb, earthy, egregious, enormous, exacting, fallen, fatal, fell, feral, ferine, ferocious, fetid, fiendish, fiendlike, fierce, filthy, flagrant, fleshly, formidable, foul, fulsome, grievous, gross, hairy, hard, hard-earned, hard-fought, harsh, hateful, heartless, heinous, hellish, horrible, horrid, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impolite, inclement, infamous, infernal, inhuman, inhumane, insensitive, instinctive, instinctual, intemperate, internecine, intricate, jawbreaking, kill-crazy, killing, knotted, knotty, laborious, lamentable, lapsed, lethal, loathsome, lousy, malign, malignant, material, materialistic, mean, merciless, mindless, monstrous, mortal, murderous, nasty, nefarious, no picnic, noisome, noncivilized, nonrational, nonspiritual, not easy, notorious, obnoxious, odious, offensive, operose, orgiastic, outlandish, outrageous, pernicious, physical, pitiable, pitiful, pitiless, postlapsarian, primitive, rank, regrettable, remorseless, reprehensible, repulsive, rigorous, rotten, rough, rough-and-ready, rude, rugged, rustic, ruthless, sad, sadistic, sanguinary, sanguineous, satanic, savage, scandalous, schlock, scurvy, set with thorns, severe, shabby, shameful, sharkish, shocking, shoddy, slavering, sordid, spiny, squalid, steep, strenuous, subhuman, swinish, tameless, terrible, thorny, ticklish, toilsome, too bad, tough, tricky, troglodytic, truculent, unchristian, uncivil, uncivilized, unclean, uncombed, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unfeeling, ungentle, unhuman, unkempt, unkind, unlicked, unpolished, unrefined, unspiritual, unsympathetic, untamed, uphill, vicious, vile, villainous, virulent, wicked, wild, woeful, wolfish, worst, worthless, wretched, zoic, zooidal, zoologicROGET THESAURUS
brutal
Discourtesy
N discourtesy, ill breeding, ill manners, bad manners, ungainly manners, insuavity, uncourteousness rusticity, inurbanity, illiberality, incivility displacency, disrespect, procacity, impudence: barbarism, barbarity, misbehavior, brutality, blackguardism, conduct unbecoming a gentleman, grossieret_e, brusquerie, vulgarity, churlishness, spinosity, perversity, moroseness, sternness, austerity, moodishness, captiousness, cynicism, tartness, acrimony, acerbity, virulence, asperity, scowl, black looks, frown, short answer, rebuff, hard words, contumely, unparliamentary language, personality, bear, bruin, brute, blackguard, beast, unlicked cub, frump, crosspatch, saucebox, crooked stick, grizzly, discourteous, uncourteous, uncourtly, ill-bred, ill-mannered, ill-behaved, ill-conditioned, unbred, unmannerly, unmannered, impolite, unpolite, unpolished, uncivilized, ungenteel, ungentleman-like, ungentlemanly, unladylike, blackguard, vulgar, dedecorous, foul- mouthed foul-spoken, abusive, uncivil, ungracious, unceremonious, cool, pert, forward, obtrusive, impudent, rude, saucy, precocious, repulsive, uncomplaisant, unaccommodating, unneighborly, ungallant, inaffable, ungentle, ungainly, rough, rugged, bluff, blunt, gruff, churlish, boorish, bearish, brutal, brusque, stern, harsh, austere, cavalier, taint, sour, crabbed, sharp, short, trenchant, sarcastic, biting, doggish, caustic, virulent, bitter, acrimonious, venomous, contumelious, snarling, surly, surly as a bear, perverse, grim, sullen, peevish, untactful, impolitic, undiplomatic, artless, discourteously, with discourtesy, with a bad grace.Malevolence
N malevolence, bad intent, bad intention, unkindness, diskindness, ill nature, ill will, ill blood, bad blood, enmity, hate, malignity, malice, malice prepense, maliciousness, spite, despite, resentment, uncharitableness, incompassionateness, gall, venom, rancor, rankling, virulence, mordacity, acerbity churlishness, hardness of heart, heart of stone, obduracy, cruelty, cruelness, brutality, savagery, ferity, ferocity, barbarity, inhumanity, immanity, truculence, ruffianism, evil eye, cloven foot, torture, vivisection, ill turn, bad turn, affront, outrage, atrocity, ill usage, intolerance, persecution, tender mercies, unkindest cut of all, malevolent, unbenevolent, unbenign, ill-disposed, ill-intentioned, ill-natured, ill-conditioned, ill-contrived, evil-minded, evil- disposed, black-browed, malicious, malign, malignant, rancorous, despiteful, spiteful, mordacious, caustic, bitter, envenomed, acrimonious, virulent, unamiable, uncharitable, maleficent, venomous, grinding, galling, harsh, disobliging, unkind, unfriendly, ungracious, inofficious, invidious, uncandid, churlish, surly, sullen, cold, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, black-hearted, hard-hearted, flint-hearted, marble-hearted, stony-hearted, hard of heart, unnatural, ruthless, relentless, cruel, brutal, brutish, savage, savage as a bear, savage as a tiger, ferine, ferocious, inhuman, barbarous, barbaric, semibarbaric, fell, untamed, tameless, truculent, incendiary, bloodthirsty, atrocious, bloodyminded, fiendish, fiendlike, demoniacal, diabolic, diabolical, devilish, infernal, hellish, Satanic, Tartaran, malevolently, with bad intent, cruel as death, hard unkindness' alter'd eye, homo homini lupus, mala mens, malus animus, rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind, sharp-tooth'd unkindness.For further exploring for "brutal" in Webster Dictionary Online