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cruel
[ kroo-uhl ]
/ Ëkru Él /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
Definition of cruel
adjective, cru·el·er, cru·el·est.
willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.
enjoying the pain or distress of others: the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.
causing or marked by great pain or distress: a cruel remark; a cruel affliction.
rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.
OTHER WORDS FOR cruel
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Origin of cruel
1175â1225; Middle English <Anglo-French, Old French <Latin crĆ«dÄlis, equivalent to crĆ«d(us) (see crude) + -Älis adj. 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 FROM cruel
Words nearby cruel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use cruel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cruel
cruel
/ (ËkruËÉl) /
adjective
causing or inflicting pain without pitya cruel teacher
causing pain or sufferinga cruel accident
Derived forms of cruel
cruelly, adverbcruelness, nounWord Origin for cruel
C13: from Old French, from Latin crĆ«dÄlis, from crĆ«dus raw, bloody
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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