as in brutality
the manifestation of the traits or the gratification of the appetites of a lower animal
a novel depicting the brutishness to which a group of schoolboys descend when they are stranded on a deserted island
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Recent Examples of brutishness
Generations of agents, therefore, have had to walk a line between bookishness and brutishness.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But the brutishness has merely relocated, to places far more dangerous.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Likewise, young Waller proves a revelation, capable of communicating Danny’s vulnerability and brutishness on the turn of a dime.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brutishness
brutality
Noun
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The result is that many people with civil claims are effectively unable to use the court system to help with such complaints as an abusive work environment, racial discrimination, environmental violations, police brutality or other issues handled by the federal courts.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Something natural decay shares with human indifference and brutality—war, waste, and rot, literal and metaphorical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brutishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brutishness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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