Brutish
/ˈbruːtɪʃ/noun
Cruel, uncivilized, or lacking in intelligence and refinement.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin brutus, meaning “heavy, dull, stupid,” which helped turn “brutish” into a moral insult long before it became a simple insult for rude behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
brutus
“heavy, dull, stupid”
Late Latin
Latin
brutus
“a beast or irrational creature”
Old French
OFr
brut
“savage, coarse, beast-like”
Middle English
English
brutish
“beastly, coarse, lacking reason”
Modern English
English
brutish
“cruel, uncivilized, or lacking refinement”