cruel

[kroo-uhl]

adjective

crueler, cruelest 

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

Other Word Forms

• cruelly adverb
• cruelness noun
• uncruel adjective
• uncruelly adverb
• uncruelness 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

As a collective they are cruel, taunting and beating the hostages, denying them food for the slightest infraction.

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The timing of my pet’s death seemed cruel.

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But these psychic wounds didn’t make Candy a cruel or nasty person; he simply absorbed the hurt and redoubled his efforts to be a genial performer.

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Lawmakers and medical experts said these efforts to “cure” LGBTQ+ teens were cruel and ineffective and caused lasting harm.

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Of all the disturbing trends I’ve been made unwitting witness to in the hyper-technological age, cheering for someone’s unemployment stands out as one of the most grotesquely cruel.

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Related Words

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