BRUTAL

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does brutal mean? 

• BRUTAL (adjective)
  The adjective BRUTAL has 4 senses:

1. (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

2. punishingly harsh

3. resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility

4. disagreeably direct and precise

  Familiarity information: BRUTAL used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BRUTAL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

Synonyms:

barbarous; brutal; cruel; fell; roughshod; savage; vicious

Context example:

vicious kicks

Similar:

inhumane (lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion)

Derivation:

brutality (the trait of extreme cruelty)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Punishingly harsh

Synonyms:

brutal; unrelenting

Context example:

a brutal winter

Similar:

intense (possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility

Synonyms:

beastly; bestial; brutal; brute; brutish

Context example:

bestial treatment of prisoners

Similar:

inhumane (lacking and reflecting lack of pity or compassion)

Derivation:

brutalize (become brutal or insensitive and unfeeling)

brutalize (make brutal, unfeeling, or inhuman)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Disagreeably direct and precise

Context example:

he spoke with brutal honesty

Similar:

direct (straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action)

 Context examples 

“No, not that. There must be some less brutal way. Let us wait.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

So far, everything had seemed phantom-like, as in a dream, but the brutal truth of what he had said shocked her eyes wide open to the reality of what was taking place.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

How could she have been so brutal, so cruel to Miss Bates!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

This brutal preliminary seemed to shadow forth some strange and inexplicable horror in the background.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But I assure you it was no less brutal to me when everybody I knew recommended it to me as they would recommend right conduct to an immoral creature.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

It was the work of this brutal ruffian whom he had the misfortune to employ.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He cut her face right open, and pounded her in the most brutal manner, when she took him; but she never loosed her hold till he was locked up.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

There was a brutal directness about his methods which made evasion difficult.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The world as he saw it was a fierce and brutal world, a world without warmth, a world in which caresses and affection and the bright sweetnesses of the spirit did not exist.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It was a brutal speech, and brutally delivered.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)