crueler or crueller; cruelest or cruellest
1
: disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings
a cruel tyrant
has a cruel heart
2
a
: causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain
a cruel joke
a cruel twist of fate
b
: unrelieved by leniency
cruel punishment
cruelness
noun
Examples of cruel in a Sentence
a cruel twist of fate
Hunger is a cruel fact of nature.
Recent Examples on the Web
Each of us should demand our local leaders challenge every one of the immoral and cruel state laws and the Gestapo-like raids and inhumane detainments carried out by ICE agents.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
These threats come at a particularly cruel moment for Baltimore.
—Jacob Murphy, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
From the massive, insane expansion of ICE and tax giveaways to the rich to the cruel gutting of Medicaid and the National Parks Service, this bill is a devastatingly clear reflection of the GOP's legislative and moral priorities.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 July 2025
Even critics who considered his policies cruel and racist – and there were many – admitted that behind the bluster there was the charm of a true believer.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2025
These threats come at a particularly cruel moment for Baltimore.
—Jacob Murphy, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
From the massive, insane expansion of ICE and tax giveaways to the rich to the cruel gutting of Medicaid and the National Parks Service, this bill is a devastatingly clear reflection of the GOP's legislative and moral priorities.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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