See Also: cruel(dictionary)
cruel(dictionary)
League against Cruel Sports, the(dictionary)

cruel (iou)



cruel adjective, noun, adverb, & verb. ME.
[Old & mod. French from Latin crudelis rel. to crudus: see CRUDE.]
A. adjective. Compar. -l(l)er, superl. -l(l)est.
Disposed to inflict suffering; having or showing indifference to or pleasure in another's pain; merciless; pitiless; hard-hearted. ME.
S. Johnson The meanest and cruelest of human beings. H. James It was cruel to bewilder her. E. O'Brien I could feel her cruel eyes on me.
Painful; distressing; colloq. difficult to bear, hard. ME.
Swift I have got a cruel cold, and staid within all this day. A. N. Wilson She had died..with cruel and unannounced suddenness.
Fierce; savage. ME-L17.
Severe; strict; rigorous. ME-L17.
b. absol. as noun. A cruel person. Now arch. & poet. LME.
Pope Canst thou, oh cruel, unconcerned survey Thy lost Ulysses on this signal day?
C. adverb. Cruelly; distressingly; exceedingly, very. obsolete exc. dial. L16.
D. verb trans. Infl. -l(l)-. Spoil; destroy all chance of success with. Austral. slang. L19.
cruellie noun (colloq.) a cruel joke, remark, comment, etc. M20.
cruelly adverb in a cruel manner; to a cruel degree; excessively: ME.
cruelness noun (rare) ME.