/ ˈbruːtl; NAmE / adjective
1.
violent and cruel :
a brutal attack / murder / rape / killing
2.
direct and clear about sth unpleasant; not thinking of people's feelings :
With brutal honesty she told him she did not love him.
► bru·tal·ity / bruːˈtæləti; NAmE / noun [ U , C ] ( pl. -ies ):
police brutality
the brutalities of war
► bru·tal·ly / -təli; NAmE / adverb :
He was brutally assaulted.
Let me be brutally frank about this.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (in the sense relating to the lower animals ): from Old French , or from medieval Latin brutalis , from brutus dull, stupid.