Cruel is an English word with synonyms like brutal or inhumane. Below you'll find 10+ example sentences showing how it's used in practice.
Cruel in a sentence
Related words
Cruel meaning
- Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
- Harsh; severe.
- Cool; awesome; neat.
Using Cruel
- The main meaning on this page is: Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless. | Harsh; severe. | Cool; awesome; neat.
- Useful related words include: brutal, inhumane, barbarous, fell.
- In the example corpus, cruel often appears in combinations such as: cruel and, the cruel, and cruel.
Context around Cruel
- Average sentence length in these examples: 24.1 words
- Position in the sentence: 4 start, 8 middle, 8 end
- Sentence types: 17 statements, 2 questions, 1 exclamations
Corpus analysis for Cruel
- In this selection, "cruel" usually appears in the middle of the sentence. The average example has 24.1 words, and this corpus slice is mostly made up of statements.
- Around the word, deliberately, experience, detention, world, blow and expected stand out and add context to how "cruel" is used.
- Recognizable usage signals include a cruel cruel world and after his cruel and brilliant. That gives this page its own corpus information beyond isolated example sentences.
- By corpus frequency, "cruel" sits close to words such as armies, excluded and gunshot, which helps place it inside the broader word index.
Example types with cruel
The same corpus examples are grouped by length and sentence type, making it easier to see the contexts in which the word appears:
Alleged violations included inadequate healthcare, wrongful detention, cruel treatment and intimidation. (11 words)
This is all because together you’ve created a cruel, cruel world! (12 words)
A third person wrote: "Wow that's incredibly heartless and cruel of him. (13 words)
Until the weather dealt a cruel blow to Cruel World, the day had been a gorgeous celebration for young punks, old New Wavers, and goths of indetermination age, there to enjoy the best of the alternative rock that arrived in the late ’70s and ’80s. (45 words)
Beth, who's suffered with the mystery ailment since the age of 15, says she was unable to wear make-up due to her condition and endured cruel nicknames at school including 'pizza face'. (34 words)
Although one commenter mentioned that they would buy a copy of the painting without the doll so they can pull a prank on one of their guests, which is certainly a cruel idea. (33 words)
When in reply Agenor calls her cruel, Tamiri asks incredulously how he can call her cruel when he has cruelly acquiesced in allowing Alexander to betroth her to Aminta? (29 words)
Aussie boyfriend 'in tears' after his girlfriend pulled a 'cruel' prank - so who is in the wrong? (17 words)
This is all because together you’ve created a cruel, cruel world! (12 words)
Example sentences (20)
Until the weather dealt a cruel blow to Cruel World, the day had been a gorgeous celebration for young punks, old New Wavers, and goths of indetermination age, there to enjoy the best of the alternative rock that arrived in the late ’70s and ’80s.
Senate candidate Kari Lake the judge “corrupt”, “heartless” and “cruel”, while Utah senator Mike Lee that it was “deliberately cruel”.
Backlash over chancellor’s 'cruel' expected public sector pay freezeFreezing pay for millions of public sector workers has been described as a "cruel body blow" by unions.
This is all because together you’ve created a cruel, cruel world!
When in reply Agenor calls her cruel, Tamiri asks incredulously how he can call her cruel when he has cruelly acquiesced in allowing Alexander to betroth her to Aminta?
He said McKinley had simply replaced a cruel Spanish tyranny with a cruel American one.
On the other hand, a person who has indulged in immoral deeds, or with a cruel disposition, indicates a latent desire to experience cruel themes of life.
Aenys' brother Maegor I Targaryen then took the throne and dealt with the rebellion of the Faith of the Seven in a way that earned him the name Maegor the cruel.
After his cruel and brilliant Stanley, Mescal would be a very welcome addition to a brigade of actors realising the work of one of the most exciting directors around.
Aileen must figure out her new destiny with Claude by her side, all so she can survive her doom and, most of all, overcome Lilia Rainworth's cruel schemes time and again.
Alleged violations included inadequate healthcare, wrongful detention, cruel treatment and intimidation.
All ten Espada are full-blown villains, but they vary widely in how wickedly cruel and brutal they are - or aren't.
Although one commenter mentioned that they would buy a copy of the painting without the doll so they can pull a prank on one of their guests, which is certainly a cruel idea.
And no, keeping out those who don’t share the same values isn’t cruel.
And with the perspective of age, I think it rather cruel that young people are still being seduced into appearing on these shows.
Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson insisting Andale contribute to the state’s $116 billion net debt is nothing short of cruel.
A third person wrote: "Wow that's incredibly heartless and cruel of him.
At the intersection of the familiar and the uncanny lies ), the embodiment of sardonic wit, grapples with time’s cruel joke in a cycle of endless repetition.
Aussie boyfriend 'in tears' after his girlfriend pulled a 'cruel' prank - so who is in the wrong?
Beth, who's suffered with the mystery ailment since the age of 15, says she was unable to wear make-up due to her condition and endured cruel nicknames at school including 'pizza face'.
Common combinations with cruel
These word pairs occur most frequently in English texts:
- cruel and 30×
- the cruel 27×
- and cruel 18×
- cruel summer 10×
- as cruel 7×
- of cruel 7×
- in cruel 7×
- was cruel 6×
- be cruel 6×
- cruel way 5×