cruelty
noun
cru·el·ty ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē 
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
a
: a cruel action
b
: inhuman treatment
3
: marital conduct held (as in a divorce action) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear
Synonyms
- atrociousness
- atrocity
- barbarity
- barbarousness
- brutality
- cruelness
- fiendishness
- heartlessness
- inhumanity
- inhumanness
- sadism
- savageness
- savagery
- truculence
- viciousness
- wantonness
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a dictator known for his cruelty The cruelty of children can be surprising. They protested against cruelty to animals.
Recent Examples on the Web In his work as a private attorney, one notable case includes his defense of a horse owner who faced animal cruelty charges for not euthanizing a sick horse. 
Milton J. Valencia, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 The child cruelty charges stemmed from an incident caught on video July 6. Henri Hollis, ajc, 24 Aug. 2022 The Riverside County Department of Animal Services is seeking to file felony animal cruelty charges against the homeowner with the Riverside County district attorney’s office. Melissa Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 The specifics of the incident involving Nala were hotly debated in court, where officer Jeffrey Bolger was charged with various animal cruelty charges. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2022 People convicted of animal cruelty charges can also be added to the Louisville animal abuser registry, Barnes said. Thomas Birmingham, The Courier-Journal, 22 June 2022 Animal cruelty charges against a Walker County Great Dane breeder have been dismissed. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 15 Apr. 2022 An Arizona man faces animal cruelty charges after 183 dead animals were found in a freezer, some of which were placed there while alive, officials said. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2022 Whoever killed Ranger could face felony animal cruelty charges, as well as charges for trespassing. Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 11 Dec. 2021 See More
Milton J. Valencia, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022 The child cruelty charges stemmed from an incident caught on video July 6. Henri Hollis, ajc, 24 Aug. 2022 The Riverside County Department of Animal Services is seeking to file felony animal cruelty charges against the homeowner with the Riverside County district attorney’s office. Melissa Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2022 The specifics of the incident involving Nala were hotly debated in court, where officer Jeffrey Bolger was charged with various animal cruelty charges. Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2022 People convicted of animal cruelty charges can also be added to the Louisville animal abuser registry, Barnes said. Thomas Birmingham, The Courier-Journal, 22 June 2022 Animal cruelty charges against a Walker County Great Dane breeder have been dismissed. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 15 Apr. 2022 An Arizona man faces animal cruelty charges after 183 dead animals were found in a freezer, some of which were placed there while alive, officials said. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2022 Whoever killed Ranger could face felony animal cruelty charges, as well as charges for trespassing. Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 11 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English cruelte, from Anglo-French cruelté, from Latin crudelitat-, crudelitas, from crudelis
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing cruelty
Kids Definition
cruelty
noun
cru·el·ty ˈkrü-əl-tē
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of causing or wanting to cause suffering
a man of cruelty
2
: treatment that causes suffering
Legal Definition
cruelty
noun
cru·el·ty
plural cruelties
1
a
: an intentional or criminally negligent act that causes pain and suffering
cruelty to animals
cruelty to children
b
: mistreatment or neglect that causes pain and suffering compare abuse
Note: Cruelty is an aggravating circumstance to a crime (as murder).
2
: a spouse's conduct that endangers life or health or causes mental suffering or fear
called also cruel and inhuman treatment
Note: Cruelty is a ground for divorce.
cruelty
noun
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
- brutality
- barbarity
- inhumanity
- savagery
- sadism
- atrocity
- savageness
- heartlessness
- cruelness
- murderousness
- viciousness
- fiendishness
- ruthlessness
- barbarousness
- mercilessness
- wantonness
- inhumanness
- meanness
- truculence
- pitilessness
- ferocity
- oppressiveness
- atrociousness
- bloodthirstiness
- malevolence
- spitefulness
- ferociousness
- grimness
- fierceness
- maliciousness
- hatefulness
- malignity
- bloodlust
- hard-heartedness
- unfeelingness
- harshness
- sanguinity
- despitefulness
- fellness
- nastiness
- cattiness
- sanguineness
- hardhandedness
- heavy-handedness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- compassion
- humaneness
- kindness
- sympathy
- humanity
- tenderheartedness
- tenderness
- kindheartedness
- benignity
- warmth
- good-heartedness
- charitableness
- pity
- mercifulness
- warmness
- warmheartedness
- mercy
- leniency
- clemency