Meaning of cruel

cru•el

Pronunciation: (kr'ul), [key]

— -er, -est.

willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.
enjoying the pain or distress of others: the cruel spectators of the gladiatorial contests.
causing or marked by great pain or distress: a cruel remark; a cruel affliction.
rigid; stern; strict; unrelentingly severe.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

See also:

cruel (Thesaurus)

crudity cruelhearted

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