cruelness

noun

Definition of cruelnessnext
as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others far from being healers, the doctors in the Nazi death camps were notable for their senseless cruelness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cruelness But again, Kristen, this is – this is cruelness. — NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruelness
  1. cruelty
  2. brutality
Noun
  • Ted Gualtier, owner of Happy Tail Happy Dog, LLC, has been charged by Denver authorities with one count of cruelty to animals.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Many abolitionists and Quakers – who fought to ban slavery – initially supported the colonization society’s removal efforts as a means for helping Black residents escape the cruelty of American laws, especially the Fugitive Slave Acts.
    — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruelty
Noun
  • Notable releases include a novel about police brutality, the return of Barbara Kingsolver, 1980s fiction and a deep dive into the very real specter of artificial intelligence.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The government suspended the use of stun grenades after a 15-year-old ​boy's hand was blown off earlier in the week, fueling accusations of police brutality.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutality

Browse Nearby Words

cruelly
cruelness
cruelty
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Cite this Entry

“Cruelness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruelness. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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