cruel
adjective
willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.
cruelly
-
a word derived from
cruel.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Japanese cities are experiencing "cruelly hot days", a new meteorological term devised this year to warn people of intense heat above 40C, with heatstroke alerts issued across almost the whole country.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Am I so cruelly esoteric that mainstream ideas of gayness do nothing for me?
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
For many cancer patients and their loved ones, it’s easier to expect the worst and hope for the best than it is to expect the best, only to be cruelly disappointed.
From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2026
“The ophthalmologist did it very cruelly and quickly,” she recalled in an interview with the Foundation for Fighting Blindness, where she long served on the board and was chairwoman at the time of her death.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
His neck was thick, powerful, and cruelly muscled; his arms were long, athletic to the point of being simian, threaded with veins, and covered with reddish hair.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
