cruel

[kroo-uhl] / ˈkru əl /

ADJECTIVE

vicious, pitiless; causing pain

Synonyms

STRONGEST

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

WEAK

bestial bloodthirsty brutish degenerate demoniac depraved excruciating ferocious fierce flinty hard hard-hearted hellish implacable inexorable malevolent monstrous pernicious poignant rancorous revengeful sinful unfeeling unnatural unrelenting vengeful virulent

Antonyms

STRONGEST

compassionate considerate decent easy feeling friendly gentle giving good helpful humane kind merciful mild moral nice pleasant pleasing polite sympathetic

WEAK

charitable thoughtful uncruel

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The last 48 hours have broken my heart to see how the football world you love so much can be so cruel to you.

From BBC

“Nature isn’t meaning to be cruel. Nature just is,” Voisard said.

From Los Angeles Times

That Tomás, who has already survived the Great Hunger as well as a cruel workhouse, isn’t already a lunatic is perhaps less fantastical than the plot itself at times.

From Los Angeles Times

Thanks to Judge Charles Ouslander for his asylum ruling, which shows the U.S. can still be a beacon for liberty and a refuge for dissidents from the world’s cruel authoritarians.

From The Wall Street Journal

These are "cruel practices that compound grief with extortion", she added.

From Barron's

cruel

Example Sentences

Related Words