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View synonyms for cruel

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • ˈcruelness, noun
  • ˈcruelly, adverb
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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
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cruel1

C13: from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, from crūdus raw, bloody
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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.
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Example Sentences

His later books drew heavily from experiences and people he encountered at the bar, including the cruel captain in The Sea-Wolf.

Not to those in power, not to the cruel and inhumane, not to the wealthy.

Hatuey replied that he would rather burn and be sent to hell than ever again encounter people as cruel as the Spanish.

The New Jersey governor vetoed a ban on a rarely used cruel practice for pregnant pigs.

The story of Alstory Simon has all the scope and scale, the cruel reversals, and pointless waste of proper tragedy.

And then Jolly Robin would feel ashamed that he had even thought of being so cruel to an infant bird, even if he was a Cowbird.

Through what ages has that declaration, not to be denied, ascended to cold and cruel skies?

His silence had frightened her: what if he should resent on her the cruel words spoken by Dr. Ashton?

There had been cruel misunderstanding on his part somewhere; that misunderstanding must be burned away.

In a thousand trials the cruel witness of Moses has sent innocent women to a painful death.

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crudocruel and unusual punishment