cruel: Meaning and Definition of
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.