Treated with extreme violence and cruelty; made harsh or insensitive through rough treatment.
From brutal (like a brute animal) + -ize (to make) + -ed. 'Brute' comes from Latin 'brutus' meaning irrational, dull, or beast-like.
Psychologically, 'brutalized' describes people who've been exposed to so much violence that they become desensitized—their empathy circuits literally start shutting down as a defense mechanism.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.