cruelty

[ kroo-uhl-tee ]

/ ˈkru əl ti /

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noun, plural cru·el·ties for 3.

the state or quality of being cruel.

cruel disposition or conduct.

a cruel act.

Law. conduct by a spouse that causes grievous bodily harm or mental suffering.

Nearby words

cruel, cruel and unusual punishment, cruel to be kind, cruelhearted, cruels, cruelty, cruelty-free, cruet, cruft, cruikshank, cruise

Origin of cruelty

1175–1225; Middle English cruelte < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin crūdēlitāt- (stem of crūdēlitās). See cruel, -ity

SYNONYMS FOR cruelty

1 harshness, brutality, ruthlessness, barbarity, inhumanity, atrocity.

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ANTONYMS FOR cruelty

2, 3 kindness.

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Related forms

an·ti·cru·el·ty, adjectiveself-cru·el·ty, noun, plural self·-cru·el·ties.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cruelty

Another American officer, Capt. Edwin Glenn, was convicted of cruelty in a non-fatal turn-of-the-century case in the Philippines.
The Luxury Homes That Torture and Your Tax Dollars Built|Michael Daly|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So, in the midst of all this chaos and cruelty to one another, what difference does having faith make?
Hope When the World’s Gone Off the Rails|Gene Robinson|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He also had a reputation for cruelty in a particularly cruel conflict.
Afghan Taliban Say they Won Big with Bergdahl Swap|Sami Yousafzai|June 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But here's the thing: despite all its darkness and cruelty, the show ultimately doesn't tolerate c--ts.
Game of Thrones’ ‘The Lion and the Rose’: Joffrey’s Demented, Shocking Royal Wedding|Andrew Romano|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Later she would boast crudely that he was ‘big where it mattered’, but there was also a streak of cruelty in his lovemaking.
Tallulah Bankhead: Gay, Drunk and Liberated in an Era of Excess Art|Judith Mackrell|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To him Davout was not merely a French general, but a man notorious for his cruelty.
War and Peace|Leo Tolstoy
Religion should never be associated in the mind of a child with injustice, cruelty, or any meanness.
Dickens As an Educator|James L. (James Laughlin) Hughes
If Alexander exceeded Achilles in cruelty, may not many go beyond Lovelace in that, as well as in debauchery?
Critical Remarks on Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa, and Pamela (1754)|Anonymous
It was the fashion of the day, to admit every rumour of his cruelty.
The History of Tasmania , Volume II (of 2)|John West
Firstly, we find her as the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the witch, playing the part of a Medea, without her cruelty.
Kalevala, Volume I (of 2)|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for cruelty

cruelty

/ (ˈkruːəltɪ) /

noun plural -ties

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

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