adj causing pain, making a person or animal suffer ○ You must not be cruel to your new puppy. ○ It was cruel of him to mention her weight problem. (NOTE: crueller – cruellest. The US spelling is crueler – cruelest.)
cru´el
(kru´el), a. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]
1. Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. “Behold a people cometh from the north country; … they are cruel and have no mercy.
Jer. vi. 22,23.”
2. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain, grief, or misery. “Cruel wars, wasting the earth.
Milton.” “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath for it was cruel.
Gen. xlix. 7.”
3. Attended with cruetly; painful; harsh. “You have seen cruel proof of this man’s strength.
Shak.”
1. Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. “Behold a people cometh from the north country; … they are cruel and have no mercy.
Jer. vi. 22,23.”
2. Causing, or fitted to cause, pain, grief, or misery. “Cruel wars, wasting the earth.
Milton.” “Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath for it was cruel.
Gen. xlix. 7.”
3. Attended with cruetly; painful; harsh. “You have seen cruel proof of this man’s strength.
Shak.”
Meaning of “cruel” in English language – adj causing pain, making a person or ani...
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