Pronunciation

/kruːəl/

Definitions

• Adjective: Having or showing a desire to cause pain or suffering to others; harsh or unkind. For example: “The teacher’s cruel punishment shocked the students.”
• Verb: To treat with cruelty or inflict suffering upon. For example: “The dictator was known for his cruel treatment of prisoners.”

Phrases

• “Cruelty towards animals” refers to mistreatment of animals.
• “Cruel and unusual punishment” is a legal term referring to punishments that are considered inhumane.
• “Be cruel to be kind” is an expression suggesting that one might appear harsh initially to help another person.

Example Sentences

• Adjective: “Her cruel words left a lasting scar on his heart.”
• Verb: “The soldier was accused of cruelly abusing his prisoners during war.”
• Idiomatic: “She pretended to be cruel to motivate her team, but in reality, she cared deeply for their success.”

Synonyms

• Heartless
• Unfeeling
• Savage
• Brutal
• Harsh

Antonyms

• Kind
• Merciful
• Gentle
• Caring
• Tender