Search results
- Dictionarycruel/ˈkruː(ə)l/
adjective
- 1. wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it: "people who are cruel to animals" Similar Opposite
verb
- 1. spoil or ruin (an opportunity or a chance of success): informal Australian "Ernie nearly cruelled the whole thing by laughing"
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
CRUEL definition: 1. (of a person or action) extremely unkind and unpleasant and causing pain to people or animals…. Learn more.
The meaning of CRUEL is disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings. How to use cruel in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Cruel.
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.
1. Disposed to inflict pain or suffering: a cruel tyrant. 2. Causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or distress: cruel treatment; a cruel remark. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis; see kreuə- in Indo-European roots .] cru′el·ly adv. cru′el·ness n. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
Definition of cruel adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
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.
extremely unkind, or causing people or animals to suffer: a cruel joke. Many people think hunting is cruel to animals. Fewer examples. I can't understand how anyone could be so cruel. It's cruel to keep an animal chained up like that all the while. He was certainly a very cruel man.
