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
In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Some kind of cruel night minder?
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
And have such a cruel person do something like that.
—James Powel, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Some kind of cruel night minder?
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
And have such a cruel person do something like that.
—James Powel, USA Today, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruel
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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