"The boxer delivered a brutal blow that knocked his opponent unconscious in seconds."
In plain English: Brutal means extremely harsh, severe, or unforgiving.
"The brutal storm knocked down several trees in our neighborhood last night."
Usage: Use brutal to describe actions that are savagely violent or ruthlessly harsh rather than merely severe. It often conveys a sense of cruelty in physical attacks or unforgiving conditions more strongly than synonyms like fierce or intense.
Example Sentences
"The brutal storm knocked down several trees in our neighborhood last night."adj
"The winter wind felt brutal against my exposed face."adj
"His brutally honest criticism hurt more than any lie ever could."adj
"It was a brutal game of soccer played in the pouring rain."adj
The word brutal comes from the Medieval Latin term brutalis, which originally meant savage or stupid. It entered English with this sense of being cruel and lacking refinement rather than simply meaning dull.