cruel

[ kroo-uhl ]

adjective

, cru·el·er, cru·el·est.

1. willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.

   Synonyms: relentless, merciless, ferocious, bloodthirsty

   Antonyms: kind

2. enjoying the pain or distress of others:

   the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.

   Antonyms: compassionate, sympathetic

3. causing or marked by great pain or distress:

   a cruel remark;

   a cruel affliction.

4. rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.

cruel

/ ˈkruːəl /

adjective

1. causing or inflicting pain without pity

   a cruel teacher

2. causing pain or suffering

   a cruel accident

Derived Forms

• ˈcruelness, noun
• ˈcruelly, adverb

Other Words From

• cruel·ly adverb
• cruel·ness noun
• un·cruel adjective
• un·cruel·ly adverb
• un·cruel·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cruel¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, equivalent to crūd(us) ( crude ) + -ēlis, adjective suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of cruel¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, from crūdus raw, bloody

Synonym Study

Cruel, pitiless, ruthless, brutal, savage imply readiness to cause pain to others. Cruel implies willingness to cause pain, and indifference to suffering: a cruel stepfather. Pitiless adds the idea of refusal to show compassion: pitiless to captives. Ruthless implies cruelty and unscrupulousness, letting nothing stand in one's way: ruthless greed. Brutal implies cruelty that takes the form of physical violence: a brutal master. Savage suggests fierceness and brutality: savage battles.

Example Sentences

In any contest to name the cruelest and most useless healthcare “reform” favored by Republicans and conservatives, it would be hard to beat the idea of applying work requirements to Medicaid.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’m quite cruel to my protagonists. I drag them through the mud, I torture them, they suffer a lot of trauma, but then I reward them at the end.”

From Los Angeles Times

The real trick here was not performed by Geller, but by Carson, who deftly played the role of generous host, making something that could easily have seemed cruel come off as kind.

From New York Times

Instead, “Stickerbush Symphony,” with its strangely melancholic New Age groove, accompanies a level in which the player navigates a fantastically cruel maze of spiky vines.

From New York Times

"It's cruel, it's unfair, it's also incredibly stupid".

From BBC

Related Words

• atrocious
• barbarous
• bitter
• brutal
• callous
• cold-blooded
• evil
• harsh
• hateful
• heartless
• inhuman
• inhumane
• merciless
• painful
• relentless
• ruthless
• sadistic
• spiteful
• tyrannical
• unkind