brutalise
Subject to violence
To brutalise is to make brutal—either by inflicting brutality on someone or by exposing them to conditions that destroy their capacity for gentleness.
Prisoners may be brutalised by guards, and the guards brutalised by their work.
Years of war had brutalised the population.
British spelling of brutalize.
Violent offensive act
- batterUncooked cake mixture
- pummelStrike repeatedly with fists
- thrashBeat violently or defeat utterly
- maulAttack with brutal force
bludgeon · beat · abuse · attack · harm · injure · wound · savage
Bring under dominion
- tyrannizeRule by oppression
- dominateControl through superior strength
- persecuteHarass cruelly, persistently
- repressHold back forcibly
suppress · enslave · coerce · intimidate · overpower · marginalize · victimize · exploit
Make or become firm
- numbLacking physical sensation
- dehumanizeStrip of dignity
- coarsenMake or become rough
- desensitizeReduce responsiveness over time
inure · callous · condition · normalize · traumatize · damage · corrupt · warp
assault
Violent offensive act
maul · bludgeon · beat · abuse · attack · harm · injure · wound · savage · mistreat
subjugate
Bring under dominion
- tyrannizeRule by oppression
- dominateControl through superior strength
- persecuteHarass cruelly, persistently
repress · suppress · enslave · coerce · intimidate · overpower · marginalize · victimize · exploit · terrorize
harden
Make or become firm
- numbLacking physical sensation
- dehumanizeStrip of dignity
- coarsenMake or become rough
desensitize · inure · callous · condition · normalize · traumatize · damage · corrupt · warp · psychological
sadistic
Finding pleasure in cruelty
callous · vicious · barbaric · inhuman · cold-blooded · malevolent · fiendish · monstrous · cruel · unfeeling
- police brutalityUnjustified force by officers
brutality, brutalize, brutalized, brutalizing, brutalizes, brutalised, brutalises, brutalising, brutalisation