cruelty

noun

cru·el·ty | \ ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē

plural cruelties

Definition of cruelty

1 : the quality or state of being cruel

2a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about cruelty

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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

If she was left there, the person involved could be charged with offenses such as abandonment and cruelty to children in the first degree. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, "A mother is sought after an hours-old newborn in a plastic bag is left in the woods," 8 June 2019 But what looks like cruelty in Dennis-Benn’s protagonists is also a desperate expression of autonomy, an insistence on claiming a sense of agency in the face of dispiriting alternatives. — Adrienne Green, The Atlantic, "The Costs of Going After Love," 7 June 2019 But there’s also a capacity in her performances for a kind of cruelty that audiences love to watch. — Adam Green, Vogue, "Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson on Bringing a Modern King Lear to Broadway," 19 Mar. 2019 Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "The Week in Washington: “They Try to Take You Out with Bullshit”," 3 Mar. 2019 But Democrats’ concerns about her lack of qualifications soon turned to concerns about morality and her capacity for cruelty. — Alexia Fernández Campbell, Vox, "Elizabeth Warren confronts Trump nominee for her role in family separations," 19 July 2018 The jokes are based on what makes them laugh, not an underlying sense of cruelty. — Laura Studarus, Marie Claire, "Amy Sedaris Is the Anti-Marie Kondo," 19 Feb. 2019 There is no justification for that kind of cruelty, and no greater good that can come of it. — Nadia Murad, Glamour, "Nadia Murad Escaped Sexual Slavery at the Hands of ISIS. This Is Her Story.," 5 Oct. 2018 False stories typically have a lurid quality, often involving bizarre forms of cruelty that don’t always strictly make sense. — Sandra Newman, Vox, "What I learned reading hundreds of false rape accusations.," 18 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cruelty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.