cruelty
Americannoun
-
the state or quality of being cruel.
- Synonyms:
- atrocity, inhumanity, barbarity, ruthlessness, brutality, harshness
-
cruel disposition or conduct.
- Antonyms:
- kindness
-
a cruel act.
- Antonyms:
- kindness
-
Law. conduct by a spouse that causes grievous bodily harm or mental suffering.
noun
-
deliberate infliction of pain or suffering
-
the quality or characteristic of being cruel
-
a cruel action
-
law conduct that causes danger to life or limb or a threat to bodily or mental health, on proof of which a decree of divorce may be granted
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cruelty
1175–1225; Middle English cruelte < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin crūdēlitāt- (stem of crūdēlitās ). See cruel, -ity
Explanation
Cruelty is a characteristic of deliberately causing someone pain. Years of cruelty by their leaders can cause citizens to rise up together and revolt. Keeping a dog tied up outside all day and all night is animal cruelty, while kids' endless bullying of a classmate is another kind of cruelty. In both examples, people act in a coldhearted way that causes another being to feel terrible. The Latin root of cruelty is crudelis, "rude, unfeeling, or hard-hearted," which is related to crudus, "rough, raw, or bloody," the root of crude.
Vocabulary lists containing cruelty
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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Real-Life Superheroes
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The Subtle Knife
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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.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says these sports can enhance the bond between dogs and owners as long as there’s no pain, injury or distress.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
Soft Cell reunited in 2001, producing the Top 40 album Cruelty Without Beauty.
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025
Known as the Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act, the 2018 ballot measure establishes minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and calves raised for veal.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
Then, in August, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced they were investigating the suspicious deaths of 10 seagulls found in Norfolk, England.
From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024
With that, he bowed and scraped himself out of the room as a vast herd of ladies from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children came streaming in.
From "The Witches" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
