crueler or crueller; cruelest or cruellest
1
: disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings
a cruel tyrant
has a cruel heart
2
a
: causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain
a cruel joke
a cruel twist of fate
b
: unrelieved by leniency
cruel punishment
cruelness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of cruel in a Sentence
a cruel twist of fate
Hunger is a cruel fact of nature.
Recent Examples on the Web
The in-person aspects of the contest have remained generally positive, but online, with each new addition, the very nature of commenting on people’s bodies, looks, and attractiveness is basically heavy bait for someone to eventually say something cruel.
—
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet some began to blanch at this cruel ostentation.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
These are Jim Harbaugh's Chargers now, not those capable cruel defeats under Brandon Staley.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2024
Being honest would be cruel, but outright lying is not necessary, either.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cruel 
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Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2024
Yet some began to blanch at this cruel ostentation.
—Tim Gallagher, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024
These are Jim Harbaugh's Chargers now, not those capable cruel defeats under Brandon Staley.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2024
Being honest would be cruel, but outright lying is not necessary, either.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cruel
Dictionary Entries Near cruel
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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