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
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Recent Examples of cruelty
They were characterized by cruelty, torture and an accountability-free reign.
—
Dennis Romero, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Many of us believe that financial gain cannot justify cruelty or ethical compromise.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
But inciting them to rise up and promising intervention, only to watch them get mowed down by the thousands, will be counted as an act of cruelty.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
As viewers know, Lucy’s poor decision-making never comes from a place of cruelty, but rather survival and a desire to help others.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Dennis Romero, NBC news, 19 Jan. 2026
Many of us believe that financial gain cannot justify cruelty or ethical compromise.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
But inciting them to rise up and promising intervention, only to watch them get mowed down by the thousands, will be counted as an act of cruelty.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
As viewers know, Lucy’s poor decision-making never comes from a place of cruelty, but rather survival and a desire to help others.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
-
For some residents, Good’s killing reopened deep wounds in a city still reckoning with the police murder of George Floyd, which occurred just blocks away in May 2020 and sparked nationwide protests against police brutality.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
10 Jan. 2026
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Captured on video, the incident would bring national tensions over police brutality to a head, igniting months of demonstrations around the country.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In Hollywood, Star 80 wasn’t treated as a failure; was treated as an atrocity.—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
-
John and Pam Hughes called it an atrocity.—
Ryan Hughes,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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