Describes violent, oppressive, or tyrannical behavior; often used in formal or literary contexts to condemn acts of cruelty or lawlessness.
The people suffered under the dictator's brutal rule.
Those who commit acts of violence should be severely punished.
Compound of 強 (strong, forceful) and 暴 (violent, outrageous). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination conveys the idea of violent, oppressive force.