cruel

adjective

1. 1

   Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.

   The supervisor was very cruel to Josh, as he would always give Josh the hardest, most degrading work he could find.

2. 2

   Harsh; severe.

   We're certainly having quite a cruel winter this year.

   The thought that something might befall him that would leave her entirely at the mercy of this beast caused him greater anxiety than the probability that almost certain death awaited her should she be left entirely alone upon the outskirts of the cruel forest.

   You may be sure they watched the cliffs on their left eagerly for any sign of a break or any place where they could climb them; but those cliffs remained cruel.

   He was physically the toughest of us and wore five layers of polar clothing, but the cold was cruel and wore us down hour after hour.

3. 3

   slangCool; awesome; neat.

adverb

1. 1

   To a great degree; terribly.

   "But I've served 'im ten years, and I'm fond of 'im, and, mind you, 'e's a great man, when all's said an' done, and it's an honor to serve 'im. But 'e does try one cruel at times."

   'I've never got arthritis, though my old dad had it something cruel.'

verb

1. 1

   To spoil or ruin (one's chance of success)

   What cruelled him was that Imperial Hotel contract.

   He was on the fringes of Test selection last year before a shoulder injury cruelled his chances.

   A shortage of berth space for mega container ships will restrict capacity at Melbourne's port, cruelling Labor's attempts to get maximum value from its privatisation, a leading shipping expert has warned.

   The Trump effect has cruelled Peter Dutton’s campaign.

2. 2

   To violently provoke (a child) in the belief that this will make them more assertive.

   Violence is apparently introduced early by the practice of "cruelling": children even in their first months are physically punished and then encouraged to seek retribution by punishing the punisher.

   […] I was referring to the area where you were talking about this practice of cruelling; the pinching of babies, sometimes so hard that their skin breaks and may go septic.

noun

1. 1

   Variant of crewelAlternative form of crewel.

Forms

plural

cruels

comparative

crueler, crueller, more cruel

superlative

cruelest, cruellest, most cruel

past tense

crueled, cruelled

past participle

crueled, cruelled

present participle

crueling, cruelling

third person singular

cruels