Synonyms of cruelty

cruelty

noun

ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē 

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

• brutality
• atrocity
• barbarity
• inhumanity
• savagery
• sadism
• savageness
• heartlessness
• cruelness
• murderousness
• viciousness
• fiendishness
• barbarousness
• wantonness
• inhumanness
• truculence
• ruthlessness
• mercilessness
• meanness
• atrociousness
• ferocity
• oppressiveness
• pitilessness
• fierceness
• grimness
• ferociousness
• bloodthirstiness
• spitefulness
• malevolence
• maliciousness
• hatefulness
• hard-heartedness
• bloodlust
• malignity
• unfeelingness
• harshness
• sanguinity
• fellness
• nastiness
• sanguineness
• despitefulness
• cattiness
• heavy-handedness
• hardhandedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compassion
• sympathy
• humanity
• kindness
• humaneness
• tenderness
• benignity
• warmth
• tenderheartedness
• kindheartedness
• pity
• warmness
• good-heartedness
• mercy
• leniency
• clemency
• warmheartedness
• charitableness
• mercifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cruelty

He has since been charged with kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering an automobile, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony. — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026

Saleem Martin, 21, has been charged with kidnapping, theft by taking, simple battery, entering automobile, cruelty to children, and criminal attempt to commit a felony, according to the Atlanta Police Department. — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026

The elder Gray was found guilty of 29 charges related to his son’s attack, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 31 July 2026

Pinnock, in particular, is at his best here, showcasing a diabolical cruelty and terrifying manipulation, elevating the story and the show to a different level. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2026