brutal

brutal — adjective

1. extremely violent and merciless, causing pain or fear with no sign of pity.

1.形容詞C1
釋義

extremely violent and merciless, causing pain or fear with no sign of pity.

例句

News reports described a brutal attack outside the train station at dawn.

brutal + attack

The brutal guards kicked the prisoner again after he fell.

同義詞
  • cruel

    close in meaning, but often less strongly tied to physical violence

  • savage

    stresses wild violence or extreme force

  • ruthless

    focuses on lack of mercy, even without physical attack

反義詞

文法句型

brutal + noun

be brutal to + person

brutal toward + group

用法筆記

Often used for attacks, killings, punishments, or regimes. Stronger than 'cruel' in many contexts because it often suggests physical violence as well as lack of pity.

2. so plain and hard in the way it is said that people may feel hurt or shocked.

2.形容詞C1
釋義

so plain and hard in the way it is said that people may feel hurt or shocked.

例句

Tomas sent a brutal text after Priya asked why she was leaving.

brutal + text

The coach was brutal about our weak defense after the final.

be brutal about + topic

同義詞
  • blunt

    similar, but often slightly less strong

  • tactless

    stresses lack of care for other people's feelings

  • cutting

    emphasizes words that wound emotionally

反義詞
  • tactful

    careful not to upset people

  • diplomatic

    careful and skillful in sensitive situations

文法句型

brutal + noun

be brutal about + topic

be brutal with + person

用法筆記

Usually modifies words for speech or judgment, such as honesty, answer, review, or truth. Common with 'about' for the topic and 'with' for the person receiving the words.

常見錯誤

❌The coach was brutal with our defense.
✅The coach was brutal about our defense.
💡use 'about' for the subject being discussed.

3. extremely hard, unpleasant, or damaging to experience or deal with.

3.形容詞C1
釋義

extremely hard, unpleasant, or damaging to experience or deal with.

例句

The desert heat turned brutal by noon, and the water ran low.

brutal + heat

Monday's math exam was brutal for students who had worked late.

brutal + exam

同義詞
  • harsh

    broad and common, but less intense in tone

  • severe

    more formal, especially in news or official writing

  • grueling

    narrower; stresses long, exhausting effort

反義詞
  • mild

    not very strong or difficult

  • easy

    not hard to do or bear

文法句型

brutal + noun

be brutal

brutal for + person

用法筆記

Often used for heat, schedules, losses, exams, or journeys. Distinguish from sense 1, which focuses on violence and cruelty, and from sense 2, which focuses on harsh words.

常見錯誤

❌My boss was brutal yesterday.
✅Yesterday's workload was brutal.
💡use this sense for hard situations or results, not for hurtful behavior.