cruel
How to Use Cruel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCausing pain on purpose, without any pity.
Word Forms
crueler comparative, crueller comparative, more cruel comparative, crueled past tense, cruelled past tense, cruels singular, cruelest superlative, cruellest superlative, most cruel superlative
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
It was _____ to leave the dog outside in the storm.
Etymology
From Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis ("harsh, severe"), related to crūdus ("raw"), the same root as "crude."