cruel

[ kroo-uhl ]
See synonyms for: cruelcruellycruelness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,cru·el·er, cru·el·est.
  1. willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.

  2. enjoying the pain or distress of others: the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.

  1. causing or marked by great pain or distress: a cruel remark;a cruel affliction.

  2. rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.

Origin of cruel

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, equivalent to crūd(us) (see crude) + -ēlis, adjective suffix

synonym study For cruel

1. 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.

Other words for cruel

Opposites for cruel

Other words from cruel

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cruel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cruel

cruel

/ (ˈkruːəl) /


adjective
  1. causing or inflicting pain without pity: a cruel teacher

  2. causing pain or suffering: a cruel accident

Origin of cruel

1
C13: from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, from crūdus raw, bloody

Derived forms of cruel

  • cruelly, adverb
  • cruelness, noun

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