1
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
a cruel dictator who tortured anyone who dared to speak out against him cruel and unusual punishments are forbidden by the U.S. Constitution
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
difficult to endure
the cruel climate of the Arctic
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
the cruel situation of being orphaned at an early age
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in malicious
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
the bully was fond of making cruel little jabs at his victim's sore points
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cruel
Which box contains the key — and the knight’s only chance at escaping his cruel prison alive?
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Tennessee Small Business Alliance calls bill a 'cruel political stunt'
Earlier this month, Fitzgerald joined 20 other business owners in urging Watson to abandon the bill.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
The fan who made the cruel comments toward Marte was ejected from the game and banned indefinitely from attending all MLB ballparks, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News Digital.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
The world is cruel, unfair and full of horrors, many of which will grow increasingly grotesque in our lifetimes.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Tennessee Small Business Alliance calls bill a 'cruel political stunt'
Earlier this month, Fitzgerald joined 20 other business owners in urging Watson to abandon the bill.
—Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
The fan who made the cruel comments toward Marte was ejected from the game and banned indefinitely from attending all MLB ballparks, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News Digital.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2025
The world is cruel, unfair and full of horrors, many of which will grow increasingly grotesque in our lifetimes.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruel
Adjective
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The mini tubs are portable, mess-free, and endlessly useful, especially on long flights where dry cabin air can be brutal.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
-
The Eastern Conference is wide open after the brutal injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs, and now the Knicks are saddled with the expectations of excellence.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Unlike harsher retinoids, this one is gentle enough for sensitive skin.—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 July 2025
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Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
On the Blue Devils’ flight home from San Antonio, there Scheyer was: digesting the game tape, reliving the most painful defeat he’s suffered in three seasons coaching his alma mater.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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Deciding where to manufacture your product is one of the most painful questions today.—
Alex Gudilko,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Deepfakes have been growing more sophisticated in recent years, in addition to being increasingly deployed for malicious purposes.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
10 July 2025
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The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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With one out, however, Ohtani was thrown at the plate trying to score from third on Pages’ chopper up the line — making an aggressive, but proper, read in a game in which the Dodgers had long before conceded that runs would be tough to come by.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Teddi Mellencamp has finally emerged on the healthy side of a torturous, years-long battle with cancer.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
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Working out was a chore or—even worse—torturous penance for failing to become the impossible ever-shrinking woman.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Hoxton Grove Estate is shrouded in bad vibes, from Jess’s fighting neighbors — a group of women who have been, by turns, loving and hateful toward each other all season, their intensity coming to a head when one of them is seduced by the other’s boyfriend — to Felix’s lethargy.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
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Being a private equity venture, Substack directly profits from its creators, hateful and hopeful alike.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruel. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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