as in brutality
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
centuries after he ravaged Europe, Attila the Hun remains notorious for his cruelty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cruelty
Fish fighting has faced increasing criticism, particularly in light of animal rights concerns and regulations aimed at curbing animal cruelty.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Detectives arrested Acosta on Wednesday morning, where he was then taken into custody and booked on felony charges related to animal cruelty.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
There’s a great line: Honesty without compassion equals cruelty.
—Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
In each of these films, cruelty commingles with tenderness, and hideous acts take place against backdrops of often stunning natural beauty.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Detectives arrested Acosta on Wednesday morning, where he was then taken into custody and booked on felony charges related to animal cruelty.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025
There’s a great line: Honesty without compassion equals cruelty.
—Jayson Jenks, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
In each of these films, cruelty commingles with tenderness, and hideous acts take place against backdrops of often stunning natural beauty.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
-
Set in Los Angeles in 2018, with police brutality and the early stages of the Black Lives Matter movement very firmly part of its zeitgeist, Forever begins with Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) unexpectedly reconnecting at a New Year’s Eve party.—
Ebonie Walker,
Refinery29,
12 May 2025
-
The Israeli government is indeed openly promising to commit horrific crimes against Palestinian civilians — brutality even above what the world has seen for the past year and a half.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Our government continues to give Israel billions in military aid with which to carry out these atrocities.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
-
Less than half a dozen countries, including Sweden, the Netherlands, and Armenia have recognized these atrocities.—
Lynn Zovighian,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share