be cruel to be kind
Harsh but helpful
Be cruel to be kind means to cause short-term pain or discomfort for someone's long-term benefit.
The phrase captures situations where harsh words, tough love, or difficult actions serve the person's genuine interests: I told him his business plan was hopeless—sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.
From Hamlet, where the prince justifies killing Polonius.
- tough loveBeneficial strictness from affection
- hard truthUnpleasant accurate statement
- pragmatismPractical problem-solving philosophy
- stringentSeverely exact and demanding
- paradoxSeemingly absurd truth
harsh · bitter medicine · boundaries · greater good · honesty · brutal honesty · discipline · parental discipline · delayed gratification · no pain no gain · assertiveness · sternness · empathy · strictness · ethical dilemma · constructive criticism · white lie · tragic hero
be cruel to be kindkill with kindness
Harm through excessive care
wolf in sheep's clothing · backhanded compliment · coddling · toxic positivity · sycophancy
be cruel to be kindcoddle
Overindulge or poach gently
enable · mollycoddle · kill with kindness · spoil · indulge
being, been, cruel, cruelly, cruelty, crueler, cruelest, kind, kindly