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
A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision from the Ninth Circuit that determined a ban on people sleeping in public was constitutionally cruel and unusual.
—
Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025
In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.
—Lynn Northcutt Vega, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Homelessness is still rampant — and the idea of homeownership feels like a cruel joke to the many millions of households in the Golden State with income far higher than the national median of $75,000.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
The president was depicted similarly to South Park’s depiction of Saddam Hussein in its 1999 feature-length movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut: ill-tempered, conniving and cruel.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025
In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.
—Lynn Northcutt Vega, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
Homelessness is still rampant — and the idea of homeownership feels like a cruel joke to the many millions of households in the Golden State with income far higher than the national median of $75,000.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 July 2025
The president was depicted similarly to South Park’s depiction of Saddam Hussein in its 1999 feature-length movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut: ill-tempered, conniving and cruel.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 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 1 Aug. 2025.
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