Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

brutal

/ˈbɹu.təl/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.10 in modern English

Syllables: bru-tal
IPA: /ˈbɹu.təl/

8

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.

adj

Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech.

adj

Harsh; unrelenting.

adj

Disagreeably precise or penetrating.

adj

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

adj

Direct and without attempt to disguise unpleasantness.

Example Sentences

"The game was brutal, but after a bloodbath he finally won."
"What began as a zeitgeisty outlaw romp in the Uncool Britannia of the 1990s is now reborn as a scabrous and brutal black comedy about middle-aged male disappointment and fear of death."
"brutal honesty"

Etymology

From Medieval Latin brutalis (“savage, stupid”), from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid”).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: *gʷreh₂-, brutalis, brūtus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɹu.təl/
British English: /ˈbɹuːtəl/

Inflected Forms

more brutal (comparative) most brutal (superlative)

Derived Forms

brutalisation brutalise brutalism Brutalist brutalitarian brutalize brutalness nonbrutal overbrutal

Frequently Paired Words

brutality brutally brute brutish

Synonyms

barbaric barbarous savage truculent bowelless brutal compassionless cruel flagitious demonic despiteful diabolic

Antonyms

gentle kind

Rhymes With

futile butyl tootle pootle footle rootle recruital

Questions

How do you pronounce brutal?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɹu.təl/.
What does brutal mean?: Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.
Where does brutal come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce brutal

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “brutal”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɹu.təl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “brutal”.
Repeat and practice — Say “brutal” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.