cruel

[kroo-uh l] /ˈkru əl/
adjective, crueler, cruelest.
1.
willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.
2.
enjoying the pain or distress of others:
the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.
3.
causing or marked by great pain or distress:
a cruel remark; a cruel affliction.
4.
rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.
Origin
1175-1225; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin crūdēlis, equivalent to crūd(us) (see crude) + -ēlis adj. suffix
Related forms
cruelly, adverb
cruelness, noun
uncruel, adjective
uncruelly, adverb
uncruelness, noun
Synonyms
1. bloodthirsty, ferocious, merciless, relentless. Cruel, pitiless, ruthless, brutal, savage imply readiness to cause pain to others. Cruel implies willingness to cause pain, and indifference to suffering: a cruel stepfather. Pitiless adds the idea of refusal to show compassion: pitiless to captives. Ruthless implies cruelty and unscrupulousness, letting nothing stand in one's way: ruthless greed. Brutal implies cruelty that takes the form of physical violence: a brutal master. Savage suggests fierceness and brutality: savage battles.
Antonyms
1. kind. 2. sympathetic, compassionate.
Examples from the web for cruel
  • Snake charming has a reputation for being cruel to the snakes themselves.
  • The eighth amendment prohibits the use of cruel and unusual punishment.
  • Three former patients questioned his work and characterized him as a cruel tyrant.
British Dictionary definitions for cruel

cruel

/ˈkruːəl/
adjective
1.
causing or inflicting pain without pity: a cruel teacher
2.
causing pain or suffering: a cruel accident
Derived Forms
cruelly, adverb
cruelness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis, from crūdus raw, bloody
Word Origin and History for cruel
adj.

early 13c., from Old French cruel (12c.), earlier crudel, from Latin crudelis "rude, unfeeling; cruel, hard-hearted," related to crudus "rough, raw, bloody" (see crude). Related: Cruelly.