How to say "brutality" in Japanese

• 蛮行ばんこうCommon
  nounCovers brutal, barbaric acts themselves — atrocities committed by people or forces, such as savage behavior by an army in war. This is the common, default word when 'brutality' means outrageous deeds.
• 獣性じゅうせい
  nounRefers to the animal, bestial side of human nature that surfaces as savagery, rather than to brutal acts. Use it when 'brutality' means a beastly inner nature; it is less common.
  戦たたかいは人間にんげんの獣性じゅうせいをよびおこす。↗

  War arouses the animal in man.
• 強暴きょうぼう
  na-adjective, nounDescribes violent, thuggish and forceful character or behavior. It is less common and fits when 'brutality' is closer to wanton violence or a violent, overbearing disposition than to barbaric cruelty.
• 没義道もぎどう
  noun, na-adjectiveA less common word meaning brutality or, especially, inhumanity. It emphasizes moral heartlessness rather than physical violence, so it suits 'brutality' only when cruelty and lack of humanity are the point.
• 暴戻ぼうれい
  noun, na-adjectiveA formal or literary term glossed as tyranny, atrocity and brutality. It is seldom the word you want in everyday contexts; use it mainly in writing about tyrannical, atrocious cruelty.

For brutal acts choose 蛮行; for an animal-like violent nature 獣性; for violent, thuggish character or conduct 強暴; 没義道 stresses inhumanity, and 暴戻 is a formal literary word for savage cruelty or tyranny.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 蛮行ばんこうact of barbarity
• 獣性じゅうせいbrutality
• 強暴きょうぼうbrutality
• 没義道もぎどうbrutality
• 暴戻ぼうれいtyranny
• 残忍性ざんにんせいbrutal (nature)