brutal

/ˈbruːtl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbruːtl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbrü-tᵊl/ (ame, mw)

brutal — 形容詞

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

1.形容詞C1
釋義

殘暴的

以暴力傷人，毫無憐憫

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.

新聞報導形容，黎明時火車站外發生了一場殘暴的襲擊。

brutal + attack

The brutal guards kicked the prisoner again after he fell.

那些殘暴的守衛在囚犯倒下後，又踢了他一次。

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

傷人的

說話直白得讓人受傷

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.

Priya 問 Tomas 為什麼要離開後，Tomas 傳了一則很傷人的簡訊。

brutal + text

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

決賽後，教練對我們薄弱的防守批得很不留情。

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

難熬；慘烈

非常難受，或結果很慘

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

例句

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

到了中午，沙漠高溫變得非常難熬，水也快不夠了。

brutal + heat

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

對那些熬夜準備的學生來說，星期一的數學考試很難熬。

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.