cruelty

noun

cru·​el·​ty ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē How to pronounce cruelty (audio)
plural cruelties
Synonyms of crueltynext
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
a
: a cruel action
b
: inhuman treatment
3
: marital conduct held (as in a divorce action) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear

Synonyms of cruelty

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of cruelty in a Sentence

a dictator known for his cruelty The cruelty of children can be surprising. They protested against cruelty to animals.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Two other misdemeanor counts, of animal cruelty and unlawful discharge of a firearm, were dismissed. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026 Beatrice is not the only person reconsidering the nastiness of the proceedings; a series of small incidents leads Morgan to question Cathcarts’ cruelty. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Silverio is currently awaiting extradition to Nevada County, where he will be charged with multiple felonies, including stalking, animal cruelty, and vandalism. — Coleman Petit, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Sullivan faces two counts of first-degree kidnapping and a single count each of first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful restraint and intentional cruelty to persons. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cruelty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cruelte, from Anglo-French cruelté, from Latin crudelitat-, crudelitas, from crudelis

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cruelty was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing cruelty

Browse Nearby Words

cruels
cruelty
cruelty-free
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruelty. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cruelty

noun
cru·​el·​ty ˈkrü-əl-tē How to pronounce cruelty (audio)
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
: cruel treatment

Legal Definition

cruelty

noun
cru·​el·​ty
plural cruelties
1
a
: an intentional or criminally negligent act that causes pain and suffering
cruelty to animals
cruelty to children
b
: mistreatment or neglect that causes pain and suffering compare abuse

Note: Cruelty is an aggravating circumstance to a crime (as murder).

2
: a spouse's conduct that endangers life or health or causes mental suffering or fear

called also cruel and inhuman treatment

Note: Cruelty is a ground for divorce.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All