cruel implies indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.

CRUEL definition: 1. (of a person or action) extremely unkind and unpleasant and causing pain to people or animals…. Learn more.

CRUEL definition: willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others. See examples of cruel used in a sentence.

1. causing or inflicting pain without pity: a cruel teacher. 2. causing pain or suffering: a cruel accident.

Definition of cruel adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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.

Cruelty, in this sense, is defined as an “inclination of the mind toward the side of harshness”. [9] Any punishment or other treatment that surpasses the scope of sufficiency and ventures into possibility is …

Dec 14, 2025 · cruel (comparative crueler or crueller or more cruel, superlative cruelest or cruellest or most cruel) The supervisor was very cruel to Josh, as he would always give Josh the hardest, most …

Someone who is cruel deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals. Children can be so cruel. Don't you think it's cruel to cage a creature up?

CRUEL meaning: 1 : used to describe people who hurt others and do not feel sorry about it; 2 : causing or helping to cause suffering terrible and unfair