cruel

The definition of cruel is someone or something that deliberately causes pain or suffering.

(adjective)

An example of cruel is Hurricane Katrina.

See cruel in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

deliberately seeking to inflict pain and suffering; enjoying others' suffering; without mercy or pity
causing, or of a kind to cause, pain, distress, etc.

Origin: OFr < L crudelis < crudus: see crude

Related Forms:

See cruel in American Heritage Dictionary 4

cru·el

adjective cru·el·er or cru·el·ler, cru·el·est or cru·el·lest

Origin: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin crūdēlis; see kreuə- in Indo-European roots.

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