brutalize
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.
Exemples
3 sur 5The 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.
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.
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.
Famille de mots
Astuce mémo
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 rapide
Historians argue that the long years of trench warfare served to ________ the young soldiers, making them cold to the horrors of death.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : brutalize
Exemples
The harsh conditions in the labor camp began to brutalize the prisoners.
everydayThe severe living conditions in the camp started making the prisoners lose their sense of humanity.
International organizations condemned the regime's attempt to brutalize the civilian population into submission.
formalGlobal groups criticized the government for using extreme cruelty to force the citizens to obey.
Don't let a few bad experiences in the city brutalize you; keep your kind heart.
informalDo not let negative experiences make you cold or hard-hearted; remain a nice person.
Sociological studies suggest that prolonged exposure to media violence can brutalize the collective psyche of a society.
academicAcademic research implies that seeing too much violence in movies and news can make a whole society less sensitive to suffering.
The aggressive corporate culture had started to brutalize the managers, making them indifferent to their employees' well-being.
businessThe competitive workplace environment made the bosses act cruelly and stop caring about their staff.
Famille de mots
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
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
Souvent confondu avec
To belittle means to make someone feel small or unimportant through words, while to brutalize involves physical or extreme psychological cruelty.
Brutal is an adjective describing something harsh; brutalize is the verb for the process of making something or someone harsh.
Notes d'usage
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.'
Erreurs courantes
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.
Astuce mémo
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.
Origine du mot
Derived from the Middle French 'brutal,' which comes from the Latin 'brutus,' meaning 'dull, stupid, or heavy.'
Modèles grammaticaux
Contexte culturel
The term is frequently used in human rights discourses and historical accounts of slavery, colonialism, and warfare to describe the erosion of empathy.
Quiz rapide
Historians argue that the long years of trench warfare served to ________ the young soldiers, making them cold to the horrors of death.
Correct !
La bonne réponse est : brutalize
Vocabulaire associé
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