cruelty

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   behavior that deliberately makes someone or something suffer, showing no concern for their feelings

   Grammar: Uncountable: talk about cruelty in general, not 'a cruelty' or 'cruelties'.

   Patterns

   • cruelty to someone
   • cruelty towards someone
   • an act of cruelty

   The charity works to prevent cruelty to animals.

   She could not forgive the cruelty of his words.

   There is no excuse for cruelty towards children.

2. 2nouncountable

   a cruel act or cruel treatment

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a cruelty' or 'cruelties' for specific acts.

   Patterns

   • commit a cruelty
   • the cruelties of war

   The report documented many cruelties committed during the war.

   He described the cruelties he had witnessed.

   Sending the dog away was a cruelty she later regretted.

Common combinations

mental cruelty

The court considered mental cruelty as grounds for divorce.

deliberate cruelty

The deliberate cruelty of the bully shocked the teachers.

cruelty to animals

Laws against cruelty to animals are strict in many countries.

act of cruelty

Setting the trap was a deliberate act of cruelty.

the cruelty of fate

He lost everything in one week—the cruelty of fate seemed unbearable.

Synonyms and how they differ

brutality

Brutality suggests extreme physical violence; cruelty can be emotional or physical.

sadism

Sadism specifically means getting pleasure from causing pain; cruelty does not require enjoyment.

harshness

Harshness is about severity or lack of gentleness, not necessarily intentional suffering.

Opposites

Word family

cruel adjective

Willing to cause pain or suffering; unkind.

cruelly adverb

In a cruel manner.

Commonly confused: cruelty or crulety?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cruelty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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