B2 verb Formal

brutalize

/ˈbruː.tə.laɪz/

To treat someone in a very cruel, violent, or insensitive manner, often leading to a loss of humanity or moral standards in the victim. It can also refer to the process of becoming desensitized to violence or harshness through repeated exposure.

Ejemplos

3 de 5
1

The harsh conditions in the labor camp began to brutalize the prisoners.

The severe living conditions in the camp started making the prisoners lose their sense of humanity.

2

International organizations condemned the regime's attempt to brutalize the civilian population into submission.

Global groups criticized the government for using extreme cruelty to force the citizens to obey.

3

Don't let a few bad experiences in the city brutalize you; keep your kind heart.

Do not let negative experiences make you cold or hard-hearted; remain a nice person.

Familia de palabras

Sustantivo
brutalization
Verb
brutalize
Adverbio
brutally
Adjetivo
brutalized
Relacionado
brutality
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Truco para recordar

Think of a 'Brute' (a violent, unthinking beast) and the suffix '-ize' (to make). To brutalize someone is to treat them so badly that you turn them into a brute.

Quiz rápido

Historians argue that the long years of trench warfare served to ________ the young soldiers, making them cold to the horrors of death.

¡Correcto!

La respuesta correcta es: brutalize

Ejemplos

1

The harsh conditions in the labor camp began to brutalize the prisoners.

everyday

The severe living conditions in the camp started making the prisoners lose their sense of humanity.

2

International organizations condemned the regime's attempt to brutalize the civilian population into submission.

formal

Global groups criticized the government for using extreme cruelty to force the citizens to obey.

3

Don't let a few bad experiences in the city brutalize you; keep your kind heart.

informal

Do not let negative experiences make you cold or hard-hearted; remain a nice person.

4

Sociological studies suggest that prolonged exposure to media violence can brutalize the collective psyche of a society.

academic

Academic research implies that seeing too much violence in movies and news can make a whole society less sensitive to suffering.

5

The aggressive corporate culture had started to brutalize the managers, making them indifferent to their employees' well-being.

business

The competitive workplace environment made the bosses act cruelly and stop caring about their staff.

Familia de palabras

Sustantivo
brutalization
Verb
brutalize
Adverbio
brutally
Adjetivo
brutalized
Relacionado
brutality

Colocaciones comunes

brutalize the population to treat the general public with extreme cruelty
systematically brutalize to apply violence or cruelty in a planned, organized way
brutalize the mind to make someone's thoughts or feelings harsh and insensitive
brutalized by war made cruel or desensitized by the experience of conflict
the power to brutalize having the capacity to make others act or feel like animals

Frases Comunes

brutalizing effects

the negative consequences of being treated cruelly

brutalize the senses

to overwhelm or deaden one's perceptions through harshness

brutalized soul

a person who has become hard or insensitive due to suffering

Se confunde a menudo con

brutalize vs belittle

To belittle means to make someone feel small or unimportant through words, while to brutalize involves physical or extreme psychological cruelty.

brutalize vs brutal

Brutal is an adjective describing something harsh; brutalize is the verb for the process of making something or someone harsh.

📝

Notas de uso

The word is most frequently used in the passive voice (e.g., 'they were brutalized') to describe victims. It implies a deeper change in character or psychology than simple 'abuse' or 'injury.'

⚠️

Errores comunes

Learners often use 'brutalize' as a synonym for 'to be honest' because of the phrase 'to be brutally honest.' However, 'brutalize' always implies a negative, cruel transformation.

💡

Truco para recordar

Think of a 'Brute' (a violent, unthinking beast) and the suffix '-ize' (to make). To brutalize someone is to treat them so badly that you turn them into a brute.

📖

Origen de la palabra

Derived from the Middle French 'brutal,' which comes from the Latin 'brutus,' meaning 'dull, stupid, or heavy.'

Patrones gramaticales

transitive verb (requires an object) often used in the passive voice regular verb conjugation (brutalized, brutalizing)
🌍

Contexto cultural

The term is frequently used in human rights discourses and historical accounts of slavery, colonialism, and warfare to describe the erosion of empathy.

Quiz rápido

Historians argue that the long years of trench warfare served to ________ the young soldiers, making them cold to the horrors of death.

¡Correcto!

La respuesta correcta es: brutalize

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buddy

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budgetary

B2

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B2

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