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View synonyms for brute

brute

1

[ broot ]

noun

  1. a nonhuman creature; beast.
  2. a brutal, insensitive, or crude person.
  3. the animal qualities, desires, etc., of humankind:

    Father felt that rough games brought out the brute in us.



adjective

  1. animal; not human.
  2. not characterized by intelligence or reason; irrational.
  3. characteristic of animals; of brutal character or quality.
  4. brute force.

brute

2

[ broot ]

verb (used with object)

, brut·ed, brut·ing.
  1. to shape (a diamond) by rubbing with another diamond or a diamond chip.

brute

/ bruːt /

noun

    1. any animal except man; beast; lower animal
    2. ( as modifier )

      brute nature

  1. a brutal person


adjective

  1. wholly instinctive or physical (esp in the phrases brute strength, brute force )
  2. without reason or intelligence
  3. coarse and grossly sensual

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Other Words From

  • brutelike adjective
  • brutely adverb
  • bruteness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of brute1

First recorded in 1425–50; late Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin brūtus “heavy, devoid of feeling, irrational”

Origin of brute2

First recorded in 1900–05; back formation from bruting “rough hewing (of a diamond),” partial translation of French brutage literally, “a roughing,” equivalent to brut “rough, raw” + -age; brute 1, -age

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Word History and Origins

Origin of brute1

C15: from Latin brūtus heavy, irrational; related to gravis heavy

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Synonym Study

See animal.

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Example Sentences

Finally, Apple blocked hackers from trying “brute force” attacks over and over in rapid succession.

That wasn’t a prohibitively large number, and so some solvers, like Siddhartha Srivastava of Patna, India, powered forth with computational brute force to find the unique solution.

If you don’t own one or just want a bit more of a workout, then a wooden spoon and brute force will do the trick.

Sinovac’s inactivated vaccine relies on a brute-force technology that has been around for hundreds of years.

From Fortune

Only Cleveland’s Nick Chubb was better at extending plays with brute force.

Brute is the story of Mac and Jesse, two disenfranchised teens who turn to robbing houses as a form of recreation and quick cash.

They knew that as much as they tried to make up for it with brute force, their cultural power was nil.

Police ignored this advice and instead used brute force to remove Saylor.

“It was no brute whom Smiley was pursuing with such mastery, no unqualified fanatic after all, no automaton,” le Carré writes.

And on Game of Thrones, it's never wise to bet on good intentions over brute force.

He has become by brute force of circumstances a sort of collectivist, puzzled only as to how much of a collectivist to be.

The eyes of the huge brute opened instantly, and he had half risen before the loud report of the gun rang through the thicket.

Saying this he advanced towards the brute, but again the powerful hand of Mafuta seized him.

He recovered himself, however, in a moment, and fired—sending a ball into the brute which just touched the brain and stunned it.

It wasn't any scruple of mercy, for Hicks was as cold-blooded a brute as ever glanced down a gun-barrel.

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brutalizebrute force