brutal
gb/bɹˈutəl/ us/bɹˈutəl/
B2
English
~ 9300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
extremely cruel or violent
Very cruel and violent, not caring about other people’s pain.
Usage pattern:
[someone]/[something] is brutal to [someone]; brutal [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'brutal' when they only mean 'unfair' or 'mean'. 'Brutal' usually suggests very strong cruelty or violence, not just normal unkind behavior.
Synonyms
cruel (More general and slightly weaker; 'brutal' often suggests extreme physical violence.)
Antonyms
humane (Stresses kindness and concern for others’ suffering, the opposite of being violent and uncaring.)
Collocations
brutal attack
|brutal murder
|brutal regime
|brutal dictator
|brutal beating
|brutal repression
Themes
violence
|conflict
|law
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The protesters were met with a brutal police crackdown.
- It was a brutal murder that shocked the entire country.
- Under the brutal regime, political opponents simply disappeared.
- Witnesses described a brutal beating that left the victim in intensive care.
- The film shows the brutal reality of life in a war zone.
Learner examples
- The dictator was known for his brutal rule.
- The prisoner suffered a brutal attack in the night.
- Many people died in the brutal war.
- The brutal soldiers hurt anyone who spoke against them.
- The story is about a brutal crime in a quiet town.
adjective
B2
property
2
extremely hard or demanding
Very hard and tiring, or very severe, so that it is difficult to continue.
Usage pattern:
[a time]/[activity]/[conditions] are brutal; brutal [schedule/workout/winter]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with simple 'very bad'. Here, 'brutal' emphasizes that something is very hard or demanding, not just unpleasant.
Synonyms
grueling (Focuses especially on extreme tiredness from effort; 'brutal' can also include emotional or environmental harshness.)
Antonyms
easy (Describes something that does not require much effort, the opposite of 'brutal' in this sense.)
Collocations
brutal schedule
|brutal workout
|brutal training
|brutal winter
|brutal conditions
|brutal commute
Themes
work
|health
|weather
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She works a brutal schedule during tax season.
- The marathon was brutal, with steep hills and strong winds.
- After a brutal workout, his legs were shaking.
- They survived a brutal winter with record-low temperatures.
- The hike was brutal, but the view from the top was worth it.
Learner examples
- The exam was brutal and very long.
- He has a brutal day at work every Monday.
- The training is brutal, but the team is stronger now.
- It was a brutal winter, with snow for many weeks.
- The workout was brutal, and my whole body hurts.
adjective
C1
property
3
very direct and hurtfully honest
Saying the truth in a very direct way that can hurt someone’s feelings.
Usage pattern:
brutal [honesty/truth/review/assessment]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only 'honest' when they mean 'brutally honest'. 'Brutal' here adds the idea that the truth is said in a strong, painful way, without softening it.
Synonyms
blunt (Suggests speaking in a very direct way; 'brutal' sounds harsher and more painful than 'blunt'.)
Antonyms
tactful (Describes someone who is careful not to upset people; the opposite of 'brutal' honesty or comments.)
Collocations
brutal honesty
|the brutal truth
|brutal assessment
|brutal review
|brutal criticism
Themes
communication
|emotions
|relationships
Examples
- I appreciate your brutal honesty, even though it stung.
- The report gave a brutal assessment of the company’s failures.
- Let me be brutal: your idea just isn’t working.
- Critics gave the movie a brutal review after its opening weekend.
- Sometimes you need to face the brutal truth about your own mistakes.
Learner examples
- Her words were brutal but true.
- He is known for his brutal honesty.
- The manager gave a brutal review of my work.
- The coach was brutal about our performance.
- They finally accepted the brutal truth about their business.
adjective
informal
B2
property
4
very bad or unpleasant
Very bad and very hard to live with, like a strong headache or very slow traffic.
Usage pattern:
[experience] is brutal; brutal [headache/traffic/hangover/day]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'brutal' always involves physical violence. In informal speech, it is often used just to mean something is very bad or very unpleasant, with no violence.
Synonyms
awful (A very common informal word for something very bad; 'brutal' can sound stronger and more intense.)
Antonyms
bearable (Means something is not too bad to handle; 'brutal' suggests the opposite, almost too bad to handle.)
Collocations
brutal headache
|brutal hangover
|brutal traffic
|brutal loss
|brutal day
Themes
daily life
|health
|travel
|daily_life
|weather
Examples
- I woke up with a brutal headache after the party.
- The traffic this morning was absolutely brutal.
- Losing by that many points was brutal for the team.
- The jet lag on the way back was brutal.
- That meeting was brutal; it felt like it would never end.
Learner examples
- I have a brutal headache and need to lie down.
- The bus was late, and the wait was brutal.
- The traffic after the game was brutal.
- Yesterday was a brutal day at work.
- The time difference was brutal for me.
adjective
slang
C1
property
5
extremely intense and impressive
Slang: very strong and very good, often about a game, performance, or sound.
Usage pattern:
[performance/game/song] is brutal; brutal [riff/tackle/game]
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this slang use and think it is always negative. In some groups (for example, gamers or metal fans), 'brutal' can be praise, meaning very intense and very good.
Synonyms
insane (Slang for something extremely good or intense; 'brutal' carries a heavier, more aggressive feel.)
Antonyms
weak (Informally describes something lacking power or impact, the opposite of 'brutal' in this positive, intense sense.)
Collocations
brutal game
|brutal tackle
|brutal riff
|brutal solo
|brutal set
Themes
slang
|sports
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- That last level was absolutely brutal—in a good way.
- The band’s new album is brutal from start to finish.
- Did you see that hit? That was a brutal tackle.
- Gamers are loving the brutal combat system in the sequel.
- Their defense was brutal and shut down every attack.
Learner examples
- The guitar solo was brutal and loud.
- Fans say the new game is brutal but fun.
- He made a brutal tackle in the match.
- The DJ played a brutal set last night.
- The movie’s fight scenes are brutal in a cool way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
brutal
IPA
GB/bɹˈutəl/
US/bɹˈutəl/
Syllables & stress
bru - tal (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (bru)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: brutal
Word family
Core family
brutality
noun
brutally
adverb
brutalize
verb
Related words
brute
noun B2
brutish
adjective
Advanced or less common
brutalization
noun
Expressions
brutal attack
1/bɹˈutəl ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
extremely violent attack
An attack that is very violent and very cruel.
Examples
- Police are investigating a brutal attack in the city center.
- The victim is recovering after a brutal attack last night.
- Witnesses described the incident as a sudden and brutal attack.
brutal conditions
1/bɹˈutəl kəndˈɪʃənz/
fixed phrase
extremely harsh conditions
Living or working situations that are very hard and painful to live in.
Examples
- Workers protested against the brutal conditions in the factory.
- They climbed in brutal conditions with freezing winds.
- Prisoners were kept in brutal conditions with little food or heat.
brutal murder
1/bɹˈutəl mˈɚdɚ/
fixed phrase
extremely violent killing
A killing that is very violent and very cruel.
Examples
- The documentary examines a brutal murder that shocked the town.
- Police have arrested a suspect in the brutal murder of a local teacher.
- The court heard details of the brutal murder during the trial.
brutal regime
1/bɹˈutəl ɹɪʒˈim/
fixed phrase
extremely cruel government
A government that hurts and controls people in very cruel and violent ways.
Examples
- Thousands fled the country to escape the brutal regime.
- The book tells the story of life under a brutal regime.
- Sanctions were imposed on the brutal regime for its human rights abuses.
brutal winter
1/bɹˈutəl wˈɪntɚ/
fixed phrase
extremely severe winter
A winter with very cold or very bad weather that is hard to live through.
Examples
- After a brutal winter, everyone was ready for spring.
- The region is preparing for another brutal winter.
- We survived a brutal winter with constant snowstorms.
that was brutal
1/ðˈæt wəz bɹˈutəl/
fixed phrase
informal
comment that something was very hard
Used after something finishes to say it was very hard, very tiring, or very unpleasant.
Examples
- Wow, that exam was brutal.
- That was brutal—I’m exhausted.
- The workout looked short, but that was brutal.
the brutal truth
1/ðə bɹˈutəl tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
a painful but true fact
A fact that is true but very hard or painful to accept.
Examples
- The brutal truth is that we can’t afford it.
- He finally faced the brutal truth about his health.
- Here’s the brutal truth: we lost because we weren’t prepared.
brutal honesty
1/bɹˈutəl ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
very direct, harsh honesty
a way of speaking that is very honest and direct, and may sound hard or hurtful.
Examples
- Her brutal honesty can make people uncomfortable.
- He answered the question with brutal honesty, not trying to make it sound nicer.
brutal honesty
2/bɹˈutəl ˈɑnɪsti/
fixed phrase
very direct, painful honesty
Saying what is true in a very direct way, even when it hurts someone’s feelings.
Examples
- I appreciate your brutal honesty about my performance.
- With brutal honesty, she told him the relationship was over.
- The review is full of brutal honesty about the product’s problems.