Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense brutalizes, present participle brutalizing, past tense, past participle brutalizedregional note: in BRIT, also use brutalise
1. verb
If an unpleasant experience brutalizes someone, it makes them cruel or violent.
Here's a man who has brutalized his own people. [VERB noun]
He was brutalized by the experience of being in prison. [beVERB-ed]
2. verb
If one person brutalizes another, they treat them in a cruel or violent way.
...a 15th century explorer who brutalized people and enslaved them. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of brutalize
brutalize in British English
or brutalise (ˈbruːtəˌlaɪz)
verb
1.
to make or become brutal
2. (transitive)
to treat brutally
Derived forms
brutalization (ˌbrutaliˈzation) or brutalisation (ˌbrutaliˈsation)
noun
brutalize in American English
(ˈbrutəlˌaɪz)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbrutalˌized or ˈbrutalˌizing
1.
to make brutal
2.
to treat in a brutal way
verb intransitive
3.
to become brutal
Derived forms
brutalization (ˌbrutaliˈzation)
noun
Examples of 'brutalize' in a sentence
brutalize
And then betrayed the Order by leaving the City and leaving you to brutalize the novices.
Zindell, David THE BROKEN GOD (1991)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make or become brutal
He was selfish, guarded, brutalized by his Civil War experiences.
Synonyms
dehumanize
corrupt
harden
hardened by the rigours of the Siberian steppes
degrade
No-one should feel degraded at their place of work.
toughen
people who have been toughened by their daily circumstances
desensitize
bestialize
2 (verb)
Definition
to treat (someone) brutally
The officers brutalized him and concocted his confessions.
Synonyms
terrorize
He was fired for terrorizing his colleagues.
browbeat
attempts to deceive, con, or browbeat the voters
vandalize
barbarize
threaten
If you threaten me verbally or physically, then you will be prosecuted.
bully
I wasn't going to let him bully me.
menace
She is being menaced by her boss.
intimidate
Attempts to intimidate people into voting for them failed.
oppress
Additional synonyms
in the sense of browbeat
Definition
to frighten (someone) with threats
attempts to deceive, con, or browbeat the voters
Synonyms
bully,
threaten,
cow,
intimidate,
badger,
oppress,
hector,
coerce,
bulldoze (informal),
overawe,
dragoon,
ride roughshod over,
tyrannize,
overbear,
domineer
in the sense of bully
Definition
to hurt, intimidate, or persecute (a weaker or smaller person)
I wasn't going to let him bully me.
Synonyms
persecute,
intimidate,
torment,
hound,
oppress,
pick on,
victimize,
terrorize,
push around (slang),
ill-treat,
ride roughshod over,
maltreat,
tyrannize,
overbear
in the sense of degrade
Definition
to reduce to dishonour or disgrace
No-one should feel degraded at their place of work.