Definitions

cruelty

[kroo-uhl-tee] / ˈkru əl ti /

NOUN

brutality, harshness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

barbarism barbarity inhumanity malice persecution savagery torture

STRONG

animality bestiality bloodthirstiness callousness coarseness coldness depravity despotism ferocity fierceness heartlessness insensibility insensitiveness malignity masochism mercilessness murderousness rancor ruthlessness sadism savageness severity spite spitefulness truculence unfeelingness unkindness venom viciousness wickedness

WEAK

brutishness fiendishness hard-heartedness

Antonyms

STRONGEST

kindness

STRONG

love

WEAK

charity compassion consideration feeling gentility mercy niceness thoughtfulness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What we see isn’t gratuitous government cruelty, chaos or vengeance.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

Altman didn’t build a culture of silence through cruelty.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

In March, after my interview with Moscatelli, came a new example of cruelty to capybaras.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

That image is a family portrait, albeit one crisscrossed with cruelty and deception, including fraudulent bloodlines.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

There were wide currents full of meaning flowing fast around her; the Gobblers and their cruelty, their fear of Dust, the city in the Aurora, her father in Svalbard, her mother....And where was she?

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Vocabulary lists containing cruelty

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

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Real-Life Superheroes

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The Subtle Knife

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!