adjective

brutish

BROOT-ihsh

Brutish (adjective) means Crude, savage, and lacking in refinement or feeling, like an animal. Example: “Life in the camp was brutish, cold, and short on comfort.”

adjective

Crude, savage, and lacking in refinement or feeling, like an animal.

"Life in the camp was brutish, cold, and short on comfort."

"His brutish manners embarrassed everyone at the dinner."

How to use brutish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishActing like an unfeeling animal — crude and lacking normal human decency.

Common pairings

brutish behaviour brutish conditions

Word forms

more brutish comparative, most brutish superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “brutish” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Life in the camp was _____, cold, and short on comfort.

Etymology

Formed from brute plus the adjective suffix -ish.

Frequently asked questions

What does “brutish” mean?

The word “brutish” means crude, savage, and lacking in refinement or feeling, like an animal. In plain terms, acting like an unfeeling animal — crude and lacking normal human decency.

How do you pronounce “brutish”?

“Brutish” is pronounced BROOT-ihsh (/ˈbɹuːt.ɪʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “brutish” in a sentence?

Here is “brutish” used in a sentence: “Life in the camp was brutish, cold, and short on comfort.”

What part of speech is “brutish”?

“Brutish” is an adjective.