Synonyms for Cruel
ˈkru əlcru·el

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:4.3 / 4 votes

1. crueladjective

   Synonyms:
   sadistic, vicious, brutal

   Antonyms:
   merciful

2. crueladjective

   Not nice; mean; heartless.

   The supervisor was very cruel to Josh, as he would always give Josh the hardest, most degrading work he could find.

   Synonyms:
   vicious, sadistic, brutal

   Antonyms:
   merciful

3. crueladjective

   Cool; awesome; neat.

   Synonyms:
   sadistic, brutal, vicious

   Antonyms:
   merciful

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.8 / 4 votes

1. cruel

   Whatever is not civilized is barbarian; barbaric indicates rude magnificence, uncultured richness; as, barbaric splendor, a barbaric melody. Barbarous refers to the worst side of barbarian life, and to revolting acts, especially of cruelty, such as a civilized man would not be expected to do; as, a barbarous deed. We may, however, say barbarous nations, barbarous tribes, without implying anything more than want of civilization and culture. Savage is more distinctly bloodthirsty than barbarous. In this sense we speak of a savage beast and of barbarous usage.

   Synonyms:
   atrocious, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, inhuman, merciless, rude, savage, uncivilized, uncouth, untamed

   Antonyms:
   civilized, courtly, cultured, delicate, elegant, graceful, humane, nice, polite, refined, tender, urbane

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 3 votes

1. cruel

   Synonyms:
   savage, barbarous, pittiless, inexorable, unrelenting, ruthless, truculent, hard-hearted, harsh, unmerciful, brutal, inhuman, maleficent, malignant

   Antonyms:
   humane, forbearing, generous, merciful, forgiving, benevolent, beneficent

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.7 / 7 votes

1. barbarous, brutal, cruel, fell, roughshod, savage, viciousadjective

   (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

   "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks"

   Synonyms:
   wild, uncivilized, fierce, savage, deplorable, reprehensible, fell, beastly, unrelenting, venomous, criminal, brute(a), condemnable, roughshod, barbaric, evil, feral, cruel, poisonous, barbarous, vicious, furious, ferocious, barbarian, heavy-handed, brutish, bestial, brutal, ferine, uncivilised

   Antonyms:
   humane

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. lumpatious

   meaning that if used properly it could mean cruel, rude, or very obnoxiously a jerk.

   my mom is acting very lumpatious

   Submitted by anonymous on November 24, 2020  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. crueladjective

   Synonyms:
   unmerciful, inhuman, merciless, unfeeling, uncompassionate, fell, ruthless, barbarous, pitiless, relentless, unrelenting, inexorable, savage, ferocious, brutal, sanguinary, truculent, blood-thirsty, hard-hearted

2. crueladjective

   Synonyms:
   severe, hard, sharp, bitter

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. crueladjective

   Synonyms:
   pitiless, merciless, inhuman, unmerciful, fell, relentless, ruthless, truculent, brutal, unfeeling, severe, inexorable, incompassionate, implacable

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 1 vote

1. List of paraphrases for "cruel":

   brutal, harsh, callous, cruelty, ruthless, savage, heartless, vicious, barbaric, quarrelsome, atrocious, tough, merciless, unmerciful, inhumane, cold-blooded, gruesome, stone-cold, horrific

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How to use Cruel in a sentence?

1. Michelle Lujan Grisham:

   Because of House Republican Leadership’s reckless and political actions, hundreds of thousands of Dreamers continue to live in an avoidable and cruel limbo.

2. Christie Roberts:

   Today’s decision dramatically escalates the stakes of the 2022 elections, and we’re making sure Americans have the tools they need to channel their anger into action, this on-the-ground organizing work will help elect Democrats who will fight to protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions and ensure the GOP’s cruel agenda to making abortion illegal and punish women is front and center for voters across the Senate battlegrounds.

3. Michael Dolan:

   I certainly think it is cruel and unusual punishment.

4. Petro Poroshenko:

   Now, it is finally clear that we struggled on Maidan not against Yanukovych. He was just a cruel and obedient marionette, moscow was preparing to the liquidation and tearing Ukraine apart long before the victory of Maidan. They were expecting the fall of Yanukovych and accelerated the course of events.

5. Missy Dizick:

   Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well.