cruelty

[kroo-uhl-tee] / ˈkru əl ti /

NOUN

brutality, harshness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbarism barbarity inhumanity malice persecution savagery torture

STRONG

animality bestiality bloodthirstiness callousness coarseness coldness depravity despotism ferocity fierceness heartlessness insensibility insensitiveness malignity masochism mercilessness murderousness rancor ruthlessness sadism savageness severity spite spitefulness truculence unfeelingness unkindness venom viciousness wickedness

WEAK

brutishness fiendishness hard-heartedness

Antonyms

STRONGEST

kindness

STRONG

love

WEAK

charity compassion consideration feeling gentility mercy niceness thoughtfulness

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.

Figures obtained by BBC News NI also show that during the past five years there were 262 convictions at court in Northern Ireland for animal welfare or cruelty offences.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Sometimes it’s the chaos, not the cruelty, that’s the point.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

No deliberate cruelty wounds this dreamy girl, only carelessness and the cataclysm of her mother’s death, which signals “the last day of childhood.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Use of fur in the global fashion industry has dramatically fallen in recent years due to concerns about animal cruelty, changing trends and new synthetic alternatives.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

I learned more about the cruelty of Jalazone life from the infectious diseases my brothers brought home.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

Vocabulary lists containing cruelty

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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