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.
See also: brute, force
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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.

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
See also:
  • brute
  • brute force and (bloody) ignorance
  • ignorance
  • by main force
  • by main strength and awkwardness
  • awkwardness
  • by brute strength
  • exercised about
  • exercised about (something)
  • track (something) into (some place)
References in periodicals archive
Leaders of the opposition and press got a taste of the draconian administration and brute force unleashed on the Kashmiri people when we tried to visit Srinagar yesterday.'
Got a taste of brute force unleashed on Kashmiris, says Rahul Gandhi
Brute force attacks are typically defined as either ten or more successive failed attempts to log in in less than a minute, or 100 or more failed attempts in a 24-hour
EMEA identified as global hotspot for brute force access attacks
Expecting a quick fix through brute force by newly appointed HM is ridiculously naive," she tweeted.
Kashmir is a political problem and needs political redressal: Mehbooba Mufti
Inspector Gemma Black said: "It appears the cat has been kicked with brute force, like kicking a football, and there can be no excuse for this deliberate attack.
RSPCA in appeal for help after cat killed in attack
Addressing a two-day international conference on Kashmir history, culture and heritage in Islamabad on Thursday, he said freedom struggles cannot be suppressed by use of brute force.
Issues of Kashmir, Palestine seek attention of world community: President
According to data, 251 people were critically injured when the Indian troops used brute force on civilian protesters in different areas of the territory, while 148 people were arrested in house raids and crackdown operations.The troops also damaged 51 residential houses during the month.
Indian troops martyr four Kashmiris
I S L A M A B A D -- Former Indian Finance Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Yashwant Sinha, has said that suppressing the freedom struggle in occupied Kashmir by the use of brute force is the state policy of India.
Use of force is India's state policy in IOK: BJP leader
ISLAMABAD:Indian authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in Srinagar and adjoining areas and used brute force on protesters to prevent a grand march towards the Indian army headquarters in Badami Bagh, Srinagar on Monday.
IOK faces curfew-like restrictions to prevent march
Scores of people were injured after Indian forces' personnel used brute force and fired teargas shells on peaceful protesters in Harde Panzu and Arizal areas of the district.
Indian forces martyr two more Kashmiri youth in IoK today
Ali Gilani also strongly condemned the use of brute force against the Ashura processions in Srinagar by the Indian police.
IOK people face Karbala-like situation almost every day: Gilani
Websites put these password rules into place to avoid two of the most common attacks: brute force and dictionary attacks.
The Trouble with Strong Passwords
(AP) CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has given the army and the Interior Ministry three months to restore security in the Sinai Peninsula with freedom to use "all brute force." This comes a week after 311 Egyptian worshippers were killed and 128 others injured in a terrorist attack on a mosque in North Sinai during Friday prayers; it was the deadliest terror attack in Egypt's modern history.
Egypt's El-Sisi repeats order to restore security in Sinai with 'all brute force'
He urged security chiefs to use 'all brute force' to achieve the aim
Sisi OKs 'Brute Force' in Military Crackdown After Sinai Mosque Attack
Ex-servicemen who were protesting at Jantar Mantar since 2015 for implementation of OROP were on Monday evicted from the spot."Two days ago, Jantar Mantar was silenced using brute force by a government whose defining feature is intolerance to any form of dissent.
Central govt crushing dissent, silencing democracy, says Congress
HACKERS have carried out a "brute force cyber attack" on IT systems at the Scottish Parliament.
Hackers try to get into Parly emails