English Explanatory Dictionary

cruel

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
  2. Harsh; severe.
  3. Cool; awesome; neat.
adv
  1. To a great degree; terribly.
verb
  1. To spoil or ruin (one's chance of success)
  2. To violently provoke (a child) in the belief that this will make them more assertive.
noun
  1. Alternative form of crewel.

Pronunciation

kro͞oəl /ˈkɹuːəl/ /kɹuːl/ /kɹʊəl/ /ˈkɹʉul/ /ˈkɹʲuːl/ en-us-cruel.ogg EN-AU ck1 cruel.ogg

Word forms

cruel crueler crueller more cruel cruelest cruellest most cruel cruell cruels crueling cruelling crueled cruelled

Etymology

From Middle English cruel, borrowed from Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis (“hard, severe, cruel”), akin to crūdus (“raw, crude”); see crude.

Synonyms

barbarous bowelless brutal compassionless cruel demonic despiteful diabolic diabolical fell incessive inclement inhuman inhumane malicious merciless nasty nonhumane pitiless remorseless rotten ruthless sadistic savage spiteful truculent unbenevolent unbenign unkind unmerciful unpitiful unpitying callous strict cold cold-eyed dour flint-hearted forbidding frosty grim hard hard-boiled hardened hardhearted heartless harsh humorless icy iron-hearted insensate insensitive marble-hearted rigorous rockhearted severe stern stonehearted stony stonyhearted

Antonyms

kindly merciful

Related words

crude cruelty ill-disposed ill-intentioned ill-natured stern

Derived words

be cruel to be kind cruel-hearted cruelize cruelly cruel mistress cruelness cruelsome goodbye, cruel world over-cruel overcruel uncruel
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