cruelty Hear it!

cruelty Definition

cru·elty (-tē)

noun

  1. the quality or condition of being cruel; inhumanity; hardheartedness
  2. pl. -·ties a cruel action, remark, etc.
  3. Law willful infliction of physical pain or suffering upon a person or animal, or of mental distress upon a person

Etymology: ME cruelte < OFr < L crudelitas < cruel

cruelty Synonyms

cruelty

n.

brutality, barbarity, sadism, savageness, unkindness, inhumanity, barbarism, mercilessness, barbarousness, unmercifulness, wickedness, ruthlessness, severity, malignity, malice, rancor, venom, coldness, unfeelingness, callousness, insensibility, indifference, insensitivity, fierceness, viciousness, bestiality, animality, truculence, ferocity, savagery, brutishness, implacability, grimness, monstrousness, inflexibility, fiendishness, hardness of heart, bloodthirstiness, unnaturalness, heartlessness, relentlessness, torture, persecution, inquisition, despotism, harshness, outrage, atrocity; see also evil 1, tyranny.

Antonyms benevolence, kindness*, humanity.

cruelty Law Definition

n

As a ground for divorce, the intentional and malicious infliction of physical or psychological abuse by a married person upon his or her spouse that endangers or severely impairs the spouse’s life or physical or mental well-being or creates a reasonable apprehension in the spouse’s mind of physical or mental harm. The extent of abuse that a spouse is expected to tolerate varies state to state, but a single act of cruelty is normally not enough to constitute grounds for divorce. See also abuse.

cruelty Usage Examples

Preposition: of

farming: So we are subsidizing the cruelty of intensive farming, unhealthy meat and fattening dairy products, fattening sweet foods, drinking and smoking.

Converse of object

  • inflict: The privilege granted to religious bodies alone to inflict this cruelty should not be tolerated in a humane society.
  • perpetrate: With your graceful stealth anticipate the moves of all who perpetrate cruelties and stay their hands against the children of light.
  • expose: Read our reports, educate yourself and help us expose the cruelty and suffering behind these ' exotic meats ' .
  • prevent: A registered charity established to prevent cruelty to children.
  • justify: I remember even my father could not justify such cruelty in the pursuit of fun.
  • hate: They have respect for the world around them - hate cruelty to animals, hate the destruction of natural beauty.

Adjective modifier

  • wanton: Our campaign has always focussed on ending wanton cruelty to Britain's wild mammals - perpetrated in the name of sport.
  • unspeakable: For the next nine years - five in solitary confinement - he endured starvation, loneliness, and unspeakable cruelties.
  • gratuitous: Given the brutal and gratuitous cruelty observed at Bassatin by CIWF and Animals Australia, this has not been effective.
  • intentional: They all involve excitement, but I believe that only in rare individuals do they involve intentional cruelty.
  • appalling: He was taken from his homeland and forced to endure the most appalling cruelty.
  • horrific: Stickers will be produced to inform the public about the horrific cruelty behind the product they were about to buy.

Modifies a noun

  • offense: Cruelty The cruelty offense is kept, but redefined to try to make interpretation by the courts easier.
  • case: We have just taken in 34 rabbits, cruelty cases via the RSPCA, for legal reasons we can not disclose why!
  • charge: Columbus veterinarian Samuel Wilcox has been fined $ 500 for misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.
  • law: He isn't the only one frustrated with Virginia's animal cruelty laws.

Noun used with modifier

  • badger: For full details, see Ministry conceals badger cruelty.
  • animal: The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gets 7,000 animal cruelty calls each month.
  • child: The Full Stop Campaign's goal is to end child cruelty.