What does "brute" mean?
An animal seen as being without human reason; a senseless beast.
Brute
/bɹuːt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An animal seen as being without human reason; a senseless beast.
- Grammar: brute is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: animal, beast, creature, savage.
- Useful contrasts: cherub, cherubs, civilian.
- Usage evidence: I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.
How to use "brute"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "brute" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "brute" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "brute" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "brute" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "brute" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "brute", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An animal seen as being without human reason; a senseless beast. archaic
"they laid before them how unbecoming it was the Dignity of such sublime Creatures to be sollicitous about gratifying those Appetites, which they had in common with Brutes, and at the same time unmindful of those higher qualities that gave them the preeminence over all visible Beings."
- 2 a living organism characterized by voluntary movement wordnet
- 3 A person with the characteristics of an unthinking animal; a coarse or brutal person, particularly one who is dim-witted.
"One of them was a hulking brute of a man, heavily tattooed and with a hardened face that practically screamed "I just got out of jail.""
- 4 a cruelly rapacious person wordnet
- 5 A kind of powerful spotlight.
"For a scene like the Highgate exhumation night sequence suitable equipment would consist of: two brutes on Molevators, three 10 K lights also on Molevators and, for good measure, two 5 Ks, four 2 Ks, two pups (1000 W), two North lights […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 One who has not yet matriculated. UK, archaic
Verb
- 1 To shape (diamonds) by grinding them against each other. transitive
- 2 Obsolete spelling of bruit. alt-of, obsolete
Adjective
- 1 Without reason or intelligence (of animals).
"a brute beast"
- 2 Characteristic of unthinking animals; senseless, unreasoning (of humans).
"A creature […] not prone / And brute as other creatures, but endued / With sanctity of reason."
- 3 Unconnected with intelligence or thought; purely material, senseless.
"the brute earth; the brute powers of nature"
- 4 Crude, unpolished.
"a great brute farmer from Liddesdale"
- 5 Strong, blunt, and spontaneous; being purely physical in nature.
"I got the door open through brute force."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Brutal; cruel; fierce; ferocious; savage; pitiless, without intelligence or reason.
"brute violence"
Adjective
- 1 resembling a beast; showing lack of human sensibility wordnet
Example
"I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "brute"?
Common synonyms include: animal, beast, creature, savage, adamic, animal.
How do you use "brute" in a sentence?
I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.
How do you pronounce "brute"?
Pronounced /bɹuːt/.
Etymology
From Middle French brut, from Old French brut, from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid, insensible”), an Oscan loanword, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷréh₂us (“heavy”). Cognate with Ancient Greek βαρύς (barús), Persian گران (gerân) and Sanskrit गुरु (gurú) (English guru).