brute

¹brute

adj \ˈbrüt\

Definition of BRUTE

1

: of or relating to beasts <the ways of the brute world>

2

: inanimate 1a

3

: characteristic of an animal in quality, action, or instinct: as a : cruel, savage <brute violence> b : not working by reason <brute instinct>

4

: purely physical <brute strength> <brute force>

5

: unrelievedly harsh <brute facts> <brute necessity>

Examples of BRUTE

1. They used brute force to open the door.
2. the brute fact of getting old

Origin of BRUTE

Middle English, from Middle French brut rough, from Latin brutus brutish, literally, heavy; akin to Latin gravis heavy — more at grieve

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to BRUTE

Synonyms: atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, cruel, butcherly, fiendish, heartless, inhuman, inhumane, sadistic, savage, truculent, vicious, wanton

Antonyms: benign, benignant, compassionate, good-hearted, humane, kind, kindhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted

Related Words: hard-hearted, ironhearted, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, stonyhearted, unfeeling; fell, ferocious, grim; bloodthirsty, cutthroat, murderous, sanguinary, sanguine; catty, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, mean, nasty, spiteful, vindictive; draconian, draconic, hardhanded, harsh, heavy-handed, oppressive

Near Antonyms: tender, warm, warmhearted; charitable, clement, lenient, merciful, pitying; pacific, peaceable, peaceful

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with BRUTE

boot, bruit, brut, bute, Bute, butte, chute, cloot, coot, cute, flute, fruit, glout, glute, hoot, jute, Jute, loot, lute, moot, mute, newt, pood, root, Root, rout, route, scoot, scute, shoot, snoot, soot, suit, suite, toot, tout, ut, Ute