as in brutality
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
centuries after he ravaged Europe, Attila the Hun remains notorious for his cruelty
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cruelty
Officials say 33-year-old Andrew James Groncki and 23-year-old Megan Gibson of Rossville, Georgia, are charged with animal cruelty, the improper disposal of a dead animal, and failure to maintain responsibility for the control of rabies.
—
Dan Raby, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Wondering why cruelty revisits him.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Augustine saw love of violence, cruelty or power as evil intents.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The animal cruelty charges were later dismissed.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Dan Raby, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Wondering why cruelty revisits him.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Augustine saw love of violence, cruelty or power as evil intents.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
The animal cruelty charges were later dismissed.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cruelty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelty
Noun
-
Based on Otessa Moshfegh’s novel about women driven to extremes by life in a small town, Thomasin McKenzie stars as the titular gruff clerk at a boys prison, physically and mentally stuck in a reality inextricable from male brutality.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Here, Creasy’s brutality is framed as a positive.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since insurgents ousted former President Bashar Assad in December 2024, dozens of members of his security agencies that were blamed for atrocities during the conflict have been arrested.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
By compiling a vast database of this material and sharing it through impactful social videos, the project has reached millions, providing vital eyewitness testimonies and interactive resources to document the atrocities faced by the people of Gaza.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelty. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
