brute force

brute force

Strong physical force, perhaps that which is exercised without thought or consideration. I couldn't get my car out of the mud until my brothers came along and moved it by brute force. You can't just fix everything with brute force. Sometimes you need to use some finesse. She decided to jam the pieces back together with brute force and hope for the best.

See also: brute, force

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

brute force

Also, brute strength. Savage violence, unreasoning strength, as in We hope that reason will triumph over brute force. Although this expression is also used literally to mean exceptional physical power, the figurative sense reflects the origin for brute, which comes from Latin brutus, for "heavy, stupid, unreasoning." [First half of 1700s]

See also: brute, force

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

brute force

Savage, senseless violence; also, sheer strength. The word “brute” came from the Latin brutus, which meant heavy, stupid, and unreasoning. The original meaning survives more in this cliché, dating from the eighteenth century, than in the modern English noun “brute,” which means simply an animal or a cruel person. Brute force is strength applied without thought as, for example, in forcing a lock. Eric Partridge’s compilation of catchphrases records one spelling this out: “brute force and ignorance,” current in Great Britain in the 1970s.

See also: brute, force

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer