# brute

> English word · Adjective · IPA /bɹuːt/ · frequency rank #16,657

## Definitions
1. Without reason or intelligence (of animals).
2. Characteristic of unthinking animals; senseless, unreasoning (of humans).
3. Unconnected with intelligence or thought; purely material, senseless.
4. Crude, unpolished.
5. Strong, blunt, and spontaneous; being purely physical in nature.
6. Brutal; cruel; fierce; ferocious; savage; pitiless, without intelligence or reason.

## Etymology
From Middle French brut, from Old French brut, from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid, insensible”), an Oscan loanword, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷréh₂us (“heavy”). Cognate with Ancient Greek βαρύς (barús), Persian گران (gerân) and Sanskrit गुरु (gurú) (English guru).

## Easily confused with
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-but)
- **butt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-butt)
- **byte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-byte)
- **bute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-bute)
- **bruv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-bruv)
- **butte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-butte)
- **Brutus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-brutus)
- **brutes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brute-vs-brutes)
- **bru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bru-vs-brute)
- **blue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blue-vs-brute)
- **bite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bite-vs-brute)
- **bout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bout-vs-brute)
- **Brit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brit-vs-brute)
- **bruh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bruh-vs-brute)
- **brat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brat-vs-brute)
- **bree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bree-vs-brute)
- **brie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brie-vs-brute)
- **bate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bate-vs-brute)
- **brut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/brut-vs-brute)
- **broke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/broke-vs-brute)

## Common misspellings (7)
`bbrute`, `brrute`, `brtue`, `bruet`, `brutte`, `burte`, `rbute`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/brute