CRUEL


Meaning of CRUEL in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈkrü(-ə)l ]

adjective

( cru·el·er or cru·el·ler ; cru·el·est or cru·el·lest )

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin crudelis, from crudus

Date: 14th century

1. : disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings

a cruel tyrant

2.

a. : causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain

a cruel joke

b. : unrelieved by leniency

cruel punishment

Synonyms: see fierce

• cru·el·ly ˈkrü-(ə-)lē adverb

• cru·el·ness noun

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.