cruelty
UK /ˈkɹuː(.ə)lti/ · US /ˈkɹu(.ə)lti/ noun
Forms cruelties cruellty cruelltie
- noun (uncountable) An indifference to suffering or pleasure in inflicting suffering.
- noun (countable) A cruel act.
Synonyms
mercilessness barbarism ruthlessness inhuman treatment pitilessness cruelness harshness
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English cruelte, from Old French crualté (French cruauté), from Latin crudelitas. By surface analysis, cruel + -ty.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The attribute or quality of being cruel; a disposition to give unnecessary pain or suffering to others; inhumanity; barbarity.
- noun A cruel and barbarous deed; inhuman treatment; the act of willfully causing unnecessary pain.
Etymology [OF. cruelt, F. cruaut, fr. L. crudelitas, fr. crudelis. See Cruel.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “cruelty”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details