CRUELTY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

cruelty

noun

ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē

Definition of cruelty

as in brutality

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others centuries after he ravaged Europe, Attila the Hun remains notorious for his cruelty

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cruelty The real problem is the culture, and when culture rewards cruelty, the damage spreads. — Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 For all the show’s cruelty, one of Klausner’s rules was that Julie and Billy would never seriously turn on each other. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026 Behind the scenes, this gritty, impoverished circus company wrestles with violence, illness and animal cruelty. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 Yet, cruelty is the point for the GOP, no matter their own family backgrounds. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cruelty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty

Noun

The army Mladic created to fight in Bosnia was a model of ruthlessness, daring and brutality in the Serb warrior tradition, once prized in the life-or-death partisan struggle against the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia in World War Two.

— Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Freya is the granddaughter of Athos — a dog who survived the Russian brutality in Bucha and was found on the street where Ukrainian forces destroyed a large Russian convoy, Danylchenko told the Associated Press in an interview.

— Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

From the new arrivals, Dresdeners heard the harrowing tales of mass rapes, murders, and atrocities perpetrated by Russian soldiers eager for revenge.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
But a drumbeat of doubt began in Elwood’s head in 2010 on a tour of Sarajevo, where Bosnian-Serb forces had committed atrocities during the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of atrocity

Browse Nearby Words

cruelness

cruelty

cruelty-free

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“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cruelty

noun

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