crueler or crueller; cruelest or cruellest
1
: disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings
a cruel tyrant
has a cruel heart
2
a
: causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain
a cruel joke
a cruel twist of fate
b
: unrelieved by leniency
cruel punishment
cruelness
noun
Examples of cruel in a Sentence
a cruel twist of fate
Hunger is a cruel fact of nature.
Recent Examples on the Web
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.
—
Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2026
In director Charlie Polinger’s drama, Joel Edgerton plays the coach of a swim camp where the boys, led by the cruel, wisecracking Jake (Kayo Martin), isolate and bully Eli (Kenny Rasmussen) by pretending that his skin rash is the plague and refusing to speak to him.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 9 Jan. 2026
For now, though, our family’s long, cruel bond with dementia has been severed.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
Assuming this is something beyond Trumpian posturing, and that’s unclear, any such decision would not only be churlish and cruel but poorly targeted.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruel
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cruel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruel. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share