# brutal

Pronunciation: say "BROO-tuhl" US /ˈbɹu.təl/, UK /ˈbɹuː.təl/, AUS /ˈbɹʉː.təl/

## Adjective

1. Savagely violent, vicious, or cruel, often in a way that shows no intelligence.
   - Simple: Very violent and cruel, often in a stupid, thoughtless way.
   - _The regime's brutal crackdown left hundreds dead and many more imprisoned._
   - _Witnesses described a brutal assault carried out with senseless ferocity._
2. Harsh and unrelenting, showing no sign of letting up.
   - Simple: So harsh that it never seems to stop or ease up.
   - _The marathon's final miles were brutal under the relentless desert sun._
   - _Commuters endured a brutal heat wave that lasted the entire month._
3. Direct and frank, making no attempt to disguise an unpleasant truth.
   - Simple: Very direct, with no effort to soften something unpleasant.
   - _Her review offered a brutal assessment of the novel's many flaws._
   - _The coach is known for brutal honesty whenever players underperform._
4. Coarse or unfeeling in the way one behaves or speaks.
   - Simple: Rough and uncaring in the way someone acts or talks.
   - _The foreman's brutal way of speaking offended the new workers._
   - _He had a brutal bluntness that left no room for tact._
5. Unpleasantly precise or penetrating, in a way that's hard to face.
   - Simple: So sharp and exact that it feels uncomfortable.
   - _The analyst's brutal precision exposed flaws no one else had noticed._
   - _His brutal insight cut straight to the heart of her excuses._
6. In extreme metal, describing music that is fast and densely packed with riffs.
   - Simple: In heavy metal, very fast and packed with dense, heavy guitar parts.
   - _Critics praised the record's brutal riffing and breakneck tempo._
   - _The set opened with a brutal track that pinned the crowd against the barrier._

## Origin

From Medieval Latin brutalis ("savage, stupid"), which comes from Latin brūtus ("dull, stupid").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/brutal (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).