cruelty
noun
cru·el·ty
ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē 
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
a
: a cruel action
b
: inhuman treatment
3
: marital conduct held (as in a divorce action) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear
Examples of cruelty in a Sentence
a dictator known for his cruelty
The cruelty of children can be surprising.
They protested against cruelty to animals.
Recent Examples on the Web
The prosecutor said Dieringer was on probation at the time of the slaying and had prior felony convictions that included animal cruelty.
—
Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
His mother, Hilda Vasquez, was taken into custody on Sunday and has been charged with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles, police said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
With this setup, and with two stars who have done well playing characters on their respective Houses with a great capacity for rationalizing their cruelty to others, The Girlfriend could easily get away with going back and forth on the blame game for most of its six-hour length.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
This story of Fagin highlights the cruelty of discrimination, the plight of the poor and the importance of role models.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
His mother, Hilda Vasquez, was taken into custody on Sunday and has been charged with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles, police said.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025
With this setup, and with two stars who have done well playing characters on their respective Houses with a great capacity for rationalizing their cruelty to others, The Girlfriend could easily get away with going back and forth on the blame game for most of its six-hour length.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025
This story of Fagin highlights the cruelty of discrimination, the plight of the poor and the importance of role models.
—The Know, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruelty. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cruelty
noun
cru·el·ty
ˈkrü-əl-tē
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
: cruel treatment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share