Cruel definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

cruel in American English · 1. willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others · 2. enjoying the pain or distress of others. the cruel spectators of the ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus Thesaurus AmericanThesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Definitionof 'cruel'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× cruel (kruːəl ) Wordforms:comparativecrueller ,superlativecruellest regionalnote: inAM,usecrueler,cruelest1. adjective Someonewhoiscrueldeliberatelycausespainordistresstopeopleoranimals. Childrencanbesocruel. Don'tyouthinkit'scrueltocageacreatureup? cruelly adverb[ADVERBwithverb]Douglaswasoftencruellytormentedbyjealoussiblings. Synonyms:brutally,severely,savagely,viciously MoreSynonymsofcruel 2. adjective Asituationoreventthatiscruelisveryharshandcausespeopledistress. ...strugglingtosurviveinacruelworldwithwhichtheycannotcope. Byacruelirony,hishorsecamedownonaflatpartofthecourse. cruelly adverb[usuallyADVERBwithverb]Hislifehasbeencruellyshatteredbyaneventnotofhisownmaking. Synonyms:bitterly,deeply,severely,mortally MoreSynonymsofcruel MoreSynonymsofcruel COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof cruel Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'cruel' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'cruel' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'geography' HindiTranslationof'cruel' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency cruelinBritishEnglish (ˈkruːəl ) adjective1. causingorinflictingpainwithoutpity acruelteacher 2. causingpainorsuffering acruelaccident verbWordforms:cruels,cruellingorcruelled3. (transitive)Australian tocausedamageordestructionto(something) CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformscruelly(ˈcruelly)adverb cruelness(ˈcruelness)noun WordoriginC13:fromOldFrench,fromLatincrūdēlis,fromcrūdusraw,bloody WordFrequency cruelinAmericanEnglish (ˈkruəl ) adjective1.  deliberatelyseekingtoinflictpainandsuffering;enjoyingothers'suffering;withoutmercyorpity 2.  causing,orofakindtocause,pain,distress,etc. SYNONYMYNOTE:cruelimpliesindifferencetothesufferingofothersoradispositiontoinflictiton others[cruelfate];brutalimpliesananimal-likeorsavagecrueltythatisaltogetherunfeeling[abrutalprisonguard];inhumanstressesthecompleteabsenceofthosequalitiesexpectedofacivilizedhumanbeing, suchascompassion,mercy,orbenevolence;,pitilessimpliesacallousrefusaltobemovedorinfluencedbythesufferingofthoseone haswronged;,ruthlessimpliesacruelandrelentlessdisregardfortherightsorwelfareofothers,while inpursuitofagoalOPPOSITES: humane,kind Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformscruelly(ˈcruelly) adverb cruelness(ˈcruelness) noun WordoriginOFr