cruelty

/ˈkru(ə)lti/

/ˈkrulti/

Other forms: cruelties

Cruelty is a characteristic of deliberately causing someone pain. Years of cruelty by their leaders can cause citizens to rise up together and revolt.

Keeping a dog tied up outside all day and all night is animal cruelty, while kids' endless bullying of a classmate is another kind of cruelty. In both examples, people act in a coldhearted way that causes another being to feel terrible. The Latin root of cruelty is crudelis, "rude, unfeeling, or hard-hearted," which is related to crudus, "rough, raw, or bloody," the root of crude.

Definitions of cruelty

1. noun

   the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance
   synonyms: cruelness, harshness

   types:

   brutality, ferociousness, savagery, viciousness

   the trait of extreme cruelty

   murderousness

   cruelty evidence by a capability to commit murder

   type of:

   malevolence, malevolency, malice

   the quality of threatening evil
2. noun

   feelings of extreme heartlessness
   synonyms: mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness

   type of:

   coldheartedness, hardheartedness, heartlessness

   an absence of concern for the welfare of others
3. noun

   a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering
   synonyms: inhuman treatment

   types:

   impalement

   the act of piercing with a sharpened stake as a form of punishment or torture

   atrocity, inhumanity

   an act of atrocious cruelty

   barbarism, barbarity, brutality, savagery

   a brutal barbarous savage act

   outrage

   a wantonly cruel act

   enormity

   an act of extreme wickedness

   type of:

   abuse, ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment

   cruel or inhumane treatment