ENGLISH
REFERENCE

brutally

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈbɹutəɫi// UK //bɹˈuːtəli// bru·tal·ly Slang

adv. to do something in a very direct and honest way, even if it might hurt someone's feelings. You use this when you want to say that someone is not trying to be polite at all.

adv. in a direct and uncompromisingly honest manner, often disregarding the feelings of others. Frequently modifies adjectives related to honesty or truthfulness to emphasize their extreme nature.


SIMPLE

He was brutally honest about my new haircut.

CONTEXTUAL

The critic was brutally honest in her review, pointing out every single mistake the actors made during the play.

COMPLEX

While the feedback was brutally delivered, the team eventually realized that such unvarnished criticism was necessary to save the project from total failure.

Synonyms
Origin

From brutal + -ly.

Usage

Commonly pairs with 'honest', 'frank', or 'truthful'; in this context, it functions as an intensifier.

Pitfall

He spoke me brutallyHe spoke to me brutallyWhen describing the manner of speaking, the verb 'speak' still requires the preposition 'to' before the object.

© 2026 English Reference