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.

He also says fines or jail time for sleeping on the streets is cruel if there’s no offer of shelter, but supports such penalties for people who repeatably decline available housing.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

That doesn’t just seem cruel — it seems like bad policy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

“But history has a habit of sometimes being cruel, and it has conspired to put him in a circumstance where he has to make a difficult decision.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

New York is thawing out after a particularly cruel winter that's included debates over fur's revival as influencers push the look and retail sites report a jump in searches for vintage pieces.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

The long, cruel winter had opened up places at several addresses.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Vocabulary lists containing cruel

Schooled

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Messenger

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

"Seeking Freedom"

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!