cruel

== English == === Alternative forms === cruell (obsolete) === Pronunciation === enPR: kro͞oəl, IPA(key): /ˈkɹuːəl/, (also) /kɹuːl/, /kɹʊəl/ (Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈkɹʉul/ (Dublin) IPA(key): /ˈkɹʲuːl/ Rhymes: -uːəl, -uːl, -ʊəl Hyphenation: cru‧el === Etymology 1 === From Middle English cruel, borrowed from Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis (“hard, severe, cruel”), akin to crūdus (“raw, crude”); see crude. ==== Adjective ==== cruel (comparative crueler or crueller or more cruel, superlative cruelest or cruellest or most cruel) Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless. Synonyms: inhuman, sadistic, spiteful; see also Thesaurus:cruel Antonym: merciful Harsh; severe. Synonyms: brutal, callous, strict; see also Thesaurus:stern (slang) Cool; awesome; neat. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Adverb ==== cruel (not comparable) (nonstandard) To a great degree; terribly. ==== Verb ==== cruel (third-person singular simple present cruels, present participle (US) crueling or (UK) cruelling, simple past and past participle (US) crueled or (UK) cruelled) (chiefly Australia, New Zealand) To spoil or ruin (one's chance of success) (Australia, ambitransitive) To violently provoke (a child) in the belief that this will make them more assertive. === Etymology 2 === ==== Noun ==== cruel (countable and uncountable, plural cruels) Alternative form of crewel. ==== Further reading ==== “cruel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “cruel”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === lucre, ulcer == Asturian == === Etymology === Inherited from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɾwel/ [ˈkɾwel] Rhymes: -el Syllabification: cruel === Adjective === cruel (epicene, plural crueles) cruel ==== Related terms ==== == Catalan == === Etymology === Inherited from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern) [kɾuˈe̞l] IPA(key): (Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [kɾuˈɛl] === Adjective === cruel m or f (masculine and feminine plural cruels) cruel ==== Derived terms ==== cruelment ==== Related terms ==== crueltat cru === Further reading === “cruel”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “cruel”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == French == === Etymology === Inherited from Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis; either remade based on the Latin or evolved from the Old French form crual, possibly from a Vulgar Latin form *crūdālis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kʁy.ɛl/ Homophones: cruels, cruelle, cruelles === Adjective === cruel (feminine cruelle, masculine plural cruels, feminine plural cruelles) cruel hard, painful ==== Synonyms ==== féroce pénible ==== Derived terms ==== cruellement ==== Related terms ==== cruauté cru === Further reading === “cruel”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 === Anagrams === culer recul == Galician == === Etymology === Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese cruel, from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɾwɛl/ [ˈkɾwɛɫ], /kɾuˈɛl/ [kɾuˈɛɫ] Rhymes: -ɛl Hyphenation: cru‧el === Adjective === cruel m or f (plural crueis) cruel ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “cruel”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 “cruel”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026 == Middle English == === Alternative forms === kruell, cruele, cruwel, crewel, cruell, cruwelle, crewelle, cruelle, crowell === Etymology === From Old French crual, from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kriu̯ˈɛːl/, /ˈkriu̯ɛl/, /ˈkriu̯əl/ === Adjective === cruel Merciless, cruel; revelling in another's pain. Deleterious, injurious; conducive to suffering. Unbearable, saddening, terrifying. Strict, unforgiving, mean; not nice. Savage, vicious, dangerous; displaying ferocity. Bold, valiant, heroic (in war) (rare) Sharp, acrid, bitter-tasting. ==== Derived terms ==== cruelheed cruelly cruelnesse cruelte ==== Descendants ==== English: cruel Scots: cruel ==== References ==== “crūē̆l, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 12 September 2018. == Portuguese == === Etymology === Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese cruel, from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: (Portugal) -ɛl, (Brazil) -ɛw Hyphenation: cru‧el === Adjective === cruel m or f (plural cruéis) (of a person or creature) cruel (that intentionally causes or revels in pain and suffering) Synonym: bárbaro (of a situation or occurrence) cruel; harsh; severe Synonyms: severo, terrível, pesado (of a doubt or question) distressful Synonym: terrível (of an occurrence) bloody; violent Synonyms: sangrento, cruento, sanguinolento ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “cruel”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “cruel”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === Inherited from Old Spanish, from Latin crūdēlis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɾwel/ [ˈkɾwel] Rhymes: -el Syllabification: cruel === Adjective === cruel m or f (masculine and feminine plural crueles) cruel mean Synonym: malo ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “cruel”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025