cruelness

noun

Definition of cruelnessnext
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others far from being healers, the doctors in the Nazi death camps were notable for their senseless cruelness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cruelness But again, Kristen, this is – this is cruelness. — NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelness
  1. cruelty
  2. brutality
Noun
  • The bureau will additionally consider applicants who have engaged in bestiality or animal cruelty as long as the incidents occurred before the applicant was 18 years old, the sources said, according to CBS News.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Looney Tunes animation–live action hybrid film is an inspired David-and-Goliath tale about the overreach and cruelty of corporations in the modern age, and its journey to release is a real-life corollary.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • However, only Atef Najib, Assad’s cousin, a security chief infamous for his brutality, is likely to face execution, the rest having been tried in absentia.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutality

Browse Nearby Words

cruelly
cruelness
cruelty
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Cite this Entry

“Cruelness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelness. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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