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
Examples of cruel in a Sentence
a cruel twist of fate
Hunger is a cruel fact of nature.
Recent Examples on the Web
Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.
—
Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
More an assembly of eerily seductive images and wordlessly tense interactions than a straight narrative, the film follows an orphaned girl who stumbles upon a film set and becomes obsessed with its cruel and beautiful star.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
But Thursday’s turnover itself marked an abhorrent and cruel spectacle that flew in the face of international law, according to United Nations rights chief Volker Turk.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.
—Travis Bean, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
More an assembly of eerily seductive images and wordlessly tense interactions than a straight narrative, the film follows an orphaned girl who stumbles upon a film set and becomes obsessed with its cruel and beautiful star.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
But Thursday’s turnover itself marked an abhorrent and cruel spectacle that flew in the face of international law, according to United Nations rights chief Volker Turk.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
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