All cruel synonyms
cruΒ·el
C c adj cruel
- atrocious β If you describe something as atrocious, you are emphasizing that its quality is very bad.
- heartless β unfeeling; unkind; unsympathetic; harsh; cruel: heartless words; a heartless ruler.
- harsh β ungentle and unpleasant in action or effect: harsh treatment; harsh manners.
- ruthless β without pity or compassion; cruel; merciless: a ruthless tyrant.
- inhuman β lacking qualities of sympathy, pity, warmth, compassion, or the like; cruel; brutal: an inhuman master.
- callous β A callous person or action is very cruel and shows no concern for other people or their feelings.
- cold-blooded β Someone who is cold-blooded does not show any pity or emotion.
- bitter β In a bitter argument or conflict, people argue very angrily or fight very fiercely.
- merciless β without mercy; having or showing no mercy; pitiless; cruel: a merciless critic.
- tyrannical β of or characteristic of a tyrant.
- barbarous β If you describe something as barbarous, you strongly disapprove of it because you think that it is rough and uncivilized.
- vicious β addicted to or characterized by vice; grossly immoral; depraved; profligate: a vicious life.
- hateful β arousing hate or deserving to be hated: the hateful oppression of dictators.
- unkind β lacking in kindness or mercy; severe.
- spiteful β full of spite or malice; showing spite; malicious; malevolent; venomous: a spiteful child.
- brutal β A brutal act or person is cruel and violent.
- painful β affected with, causing, or characterized by pain: a painful wound; a painful night; a painful memory.
- sadistic β pertaining to or characterized by sadism; deriving pleasure or sexual gratification from extreme cruelty: a sadistic psychopath.
- wicked β evil or morally bad in principle or practice; sinful; iniquitous: wicked people; wicked habits.
- relentless β that does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: a relentless enemy.
- inhumane β not humane; lacking humanity, kindness, compassion, etc.
- bestial β If you describe behaviour or a situation as bestial, you mean that it is very unpleasant or disgusting.
- bloodthirsty β Bloodthirsty people are eager to use violence or display a strong interest in violent things. You can also use bloodthirsty to refer to very violent situations.
- degenerate β If you say that someone or something degenerates, you mean that they become worse in some way, for example weaker, lower in quality, or more dangerous.
- depraved β Depraved actions, things, or people are morally bad or evil.
- ferocious β savagely fierce, as a wild beast, person, action, or aspect; violently cruel: a ferocious beating.
- fierce β menacingly wild, savage, or hostile: fierce animals; a fierce look.
- flinty β composed of, containing, or resembling flint, especially in hardness.
- hard β not soft; solid and firm to the touch; unyielding to pressure and impenetrable or almost impenetrable.
- hellish β of, like, or suitable to hell; infernal; vile; horrible: It was a hellish war.
- implacable β not to be appeased, mollified, or pacified; inexorable: an implacable enemy.
- inexorable β unyielding; unalterable: inexorable truth; inexorable justice.
- malevolent β wishing evil or harm to another or others; showing ill will; ill-disposed; malicious: His failures made him malevolent toward those who were successful.
- monstrous β frightful or hideous, especially in appearance; extremely ugly.
- pernicious β causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful: pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
- poignant β keenly distressing to the feelings: poignant regret.
- revengeful β determined to have revenge; vindictive.
- sinful β characterized by, guilty of, or full of sin; wicked: a sinful life.
- unfeeling β not feeling; devoid of feeling; insensible or insensate.
adjective cruel
- nasty β physically filthy; disgustingly unclean: a nasty pigsty of a room.
- pitiless β feeling or showing no pity; merciless: pitiless criticism of his last novel.
- malicious β full of, characterized by, or showing malice; intentionally harmful; spiteful: malicious gossip.
- vindictive β disposed or inclined to revenge; vengeful: a vindictive person.
- mean β to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.: They were meant for each other. Synonyms: destine, foreordain.
- punishing β causing or characterized by harsh or injurious treatment; severe; brutal: The storm was accompanied by punishing winds.
- forbidding β grim; unfriendly; hostile; sinister: his forbidding countenance.
- unpleasant β not pleasant; displeasing; disagreeable; offensive: an unpleasant taste; an unpleasant situation; an unpleasant manner.