Word
brutal
Meanings
Extremely cruel or violent; showing no mercy.
Extremely harsh or severe; very difficult to endure.
Unpleasantly direct or severe in judgment or feedback.
Definition
Very harsh, cruel, or severe in a way that causes pain or shock.
Brutal describes something extremely harsh, violent, or cruel, especially when it causes suffering or seems completely without mercy. It can also describe experiences or conditions that feel severely difficult or punishing. In informal use, it may refer to criticism or honesty that is shockingly direct.
Examples
- The documentary didn’t sensationalize the violence, but the scenes were still brutal to watch.
- After a brutal week of deadlines, I slept for twelve hours straight.
- Her editor gave her a brutal assessment of the first draft, but it helped her rewrite it more clearly.
- They faced brutal conditions on the hike when the temperature dropped and the trail disappeared under ice.
Common mistake
Learners often overuse brutal for mildly negative situations; for small inconveniences, words like "tough" or "rough" are usually more natural.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.