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
But Church, who was profoundly affected by the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville, imbues a real fear of what’s possibly around the corner in today’s cruel world.
—
Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
Milano’s extensive medical history sometimes feels too cruel to detail; his only full season came as a rookie in 2017.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 2 May 2025
This dynamic has created a cruel catch-22 which forces an impossible choice: register and risk immediate deportation, or refuse and become criminalized for noncompliance, destroying any path to legal status.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 2025
Her death is a result of cruel inhumane policies and treatment of immigrants.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025
Milano’s extensive medical history sometimes feels too cruel to detail; his only full season came as a rookie in 2017.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 2 May 2025
This dynamic has created a cruel catch-22 which forces an impossible choice: register and risk immediate deportation, or refuse and become criminalized for noncompliance, destroying any path to legal status.
—Kica Matos, Time, 2 May 2025
Her death is a result of cruel inhumane policies and treatment of immigrants.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 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 9 May. 2025.
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