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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 location was a former sugarcane plantation notorious for cruelty, and accounts of apparitions in the water are a reminder of this history. — Marcus Librizzi, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026 Gebran was also given two years of unsupervised probation and ordered to pay $1,365, including a $1,000 fine for animal cruelty and a $50 fine for unlawful discharge of a firearm with additional court costs. — 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 Ferger was cited on six counts of ill-treatment and cruelty to animals, six counts involving duties of animal owners and three counts involving maintenance of premises. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cruelty

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty

Noun

Dupuy-Spencer had a reputation for clear-eyed renderings of both the tenderness and the brutality of our world; here, darker forces prevail.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
However, Gates, who resigned in the wake of the 1992 LA Riots, was also viewed as leaving a legacy of police brutality and racial tension.

— Tom Wait, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of brutality

Noun

Comparing the administration's fight to protect women and women's spaces from males to rape, is utterly disgusting and actually devalues those atrocities and crimes against actual women.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The state and town have made efforts to atone for the atrocities over the past centuries.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of atrocity

Browse Nearby Words

cruelness

cruelty

cruelty-free

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cruelty

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

reticent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes