cruelty

American  

[kroo-uhl-tee] / ˈkru əl ti /

noun

• cruelties
  plural

1. the state or quality of being cruel.

   Synonyms:

   atrocity, inhumanity, barbarity, ruthlessness, brutality, harshness

2. cruel disposition or conduct.

   Antonyms:

   kindness

3. a cruel act.

   Antonyms:

   kindness

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

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cruelty British  

/ ˈkruːəltɪ /

noun

1. deliberate infliction of pain or suffering

2. the quality or characteristic of being cruel

3. a cruel action

4. 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-cruelty
  noun
• anticruelty
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cruelties
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cruelty cruelties

He called on him to quit and injected further tales of alleged cruelty into the discussion.

From Slate ● Aug. 8, 2026

"We're talking about academia here. I didn't murder somebody. I think the cruelty that I've experienced and the positioning of me as this kind of liar and fantasist is totally unacceptable," he told the newspaper.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

“You will not face this cruelty alone. This administration will stand alongside immigrant New Yorkers today, tomorrow, and every day that follows.”

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

The point was that Bush lacked “moral courage,” Mr. Trudeau explained defensively, though more than a few readers must have tittered at the cruelty of his word choice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Many presidential biographers were willing to gaze past the cruelty that was central to slavery, along with the key role it played in the lives of some presidents.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

I remember thinking her diatribe about the injustice of Hester Prynne’s shunning would segue into the cruelties Charles faced with the goal of inspiring someone to defy the blacklist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

But those cuts are less likely to matter to the polemicists who will not experience the institutionalized cruelties firsthand.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2024

But he also pointed to the cruelties of man.

From BBC ● May 13, 2024

It is helpful for all to take into consideration the disruptive social history of the region when trying to come to terms with the profound sadnesses and cruelties being exchanged today.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2023

To make them realize that while we’re vulnerable to the Capitol’s cruelties, they are as well.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• barbarism
• barbarity
• inhumanity
• malice
• persecution
• savagery
• torture