cruel
gb/kɹˈul/ us/kɹˈul/
B1
English
~ 1700
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
intentionally causing pain
Wanting to make people or animals feel pain or unhappiness.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is cruel to [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'cruel' with 'rude'. 'Cruel' involves causing pain or suffering, not just impolite behavior.
Synonyms
brutal (Implies extreme and often violent cruelty.)
|
heartless (Focuses on emotional coldness rather than physical harm.)
Antonyms
kind (Shows care and concern for others' feelings and well-being.)
|
compassionate (Actively showing sympathy and desire to help those who suffer.)
Collocations
cruel joke
|cruel punishment
|cruel treatment
|cruel to animals
|cruel twist
Themes
emotions
|behavior
|ethics
|relationships
Examples
- The dictator was known for his cruel treatment of prisoners.
- It was cruel of him to laugh at her mistake.
- She couldn't watch the cruel sport of bullfighting.
- The teacher's cruel comments hurt the student's confidence.
Learner examples
- He is cruel to his dog.
- That was a cruel thing to say.
- The man was cruel to the child.
- It is cruel to hurt animals.
adjective
B2
property
2
causing pain by nature
Very harsh or unpleasant in a way that causes pain or sadness, even if not done on purpose.
Usage pattern:
a cruel [thing/event/condition]
Synonyms
harsh (Describes a severe or unpleasant quality, often without intent to harm.)
|
merciless (Emphasizes complete lack of pity, can be natural or intentional.)
Antonyms
gentle (Kind and soft in effect.)
|
mild (Not severe or extreme in effect.)
Collocations
cruel fate
|cruel irony
|cruel winter
Themes
emotions
|nature
|life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was a cruel winter that destroyed many crops.
- Life can be cruel when plans fail unexpectedly.
- The cruel irony was that his success led to his downfall.
Learner examples
- It was a cruel summer with no rain.
- Life can be cruel sometimes.
- The cruel weather stopped the trip.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cruel
IPA
GB/kɹˈul/
US/kɹˈul/
Syllables & stress
cruel (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cruel)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: cruel
- Comparative: crueler, crueller
- Superlative: cruelest, cruellest
Word family
Expressions
cruel to be kind
1/kɹˈul tə bˈi kˈaɪnd/
idiom
hurt now to help later
To do something that seems unkind but will help someone in the end.
Examples
- I had to be cruel to be kind and tell her the truth about her performance.
- Sometimes parents must be cruel to be kind when disciplining their children.