cruelty
Inflicting pain willingly
Cruelty is the willingness to cause suffering, or behavior that reflects it.
The word implies something beyond mere harm—a disregard for or even pleasure in another's pain: The cruelty of the guards was systematic.
Cruelty can be physical or emotional, deliberate or careless.
There's a casual cruelty to how she dismisses people.
In law, cruelty to animals or cruelty within marriage describes actionable mistreatment.
Extreme, violent cruelty
- barbaritySavage or cruel behavior
- ferocityExtreme violent intensity
- viciousnessExtreme cruelty or spite
- atrocityUnforgivable mass cruelty
sadism · mercilessness · ruthlessness · bloodthirstiness · fiendishness · heinousness · monstrosity · bestiality
Lack of compassion
- insensitivityLack of emotional awareness
- cold-bloodednessUnfeeling, merciless nature
- hard-heartednessLack of sympathy
- unfeelingnessAbsence of emotional response
pitilessness · mercilessness · uncompassionate · unsympathetic · stoniness · coldness · indifference · disregard
Petty malicious intent
- vindictivenessDisposition toward retaliation
- malevolenceActive ill will
- hostilityAntagonistic disposition toward others
- meannessSpiteful, unkind disposition
ill-will · viciousness · nastiness · animosity · hatred · resentment · bitterness · venom
Oppressive, absolute governance
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- subjugationForcing into submission
- dominationSupreme authority held
- exploitationSelfish use of others
repression · authoritarianism · despotism · totalitarianism · dictatorship · enslavement · colonialism · apartheid
Bodily or emotional distress
- anguishIntense mental suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- agonyExtreme physical or emotional pain
- traumaLasting psychological wound
misery · distress · affliction · woe · heartache · grief · sorrow · despair
Intensity of sternness
- sternnessUncompromising strictness of manner
- rigorStrict, thorough precision
- strictnessInflexibility in enforcement
- inflexibilityQuality of being unbending
draconian · unforgiving · relentlessness · punitiveness · grimness · austerity · heavy-handedness · oppressiveness
savagery
Extreme, violent cruelty
- barbaritySavage or cruel behavior
- ferocityExtreme violent intensity
- viciousnessExtreme cruelty or spite
atrocity · sadism · mercilessness · ruthlessness · bloodthirstiness · fiendishness · heinousness · monstrosity · bestiality · inhumaneness
heartlessness
Lack of compassion
- insensitivityLack of emotional awareness
- cold-bloodednessUnfeeling, merciless nature
- hard-heartednessLack of sympathy
unfeelingness · pitilessness · mercilessness · uncompassionate · unsympathetic · stoniness · coldness · indifference · disregard · apathy
spite
Petty malicious intent
- vindictivenessDisposition toward retaliation
- malevolenceActive ill will
- hostilityAntagonistic disposition toward others
meanness · ill-will · viciousness · nastiness · animosity · hatred · resentment · bitterness · venom · malignity
tyranny
Oppressive, absolute governance
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- subjugationForcing into submission
- dominationSupreme authority held
exploitation · repression · authoritarianism · despotism · totalitarianism · dictatorship · enslavement · colonialism · apartheid · marginalization
pain
Bodily or emotional distress
- anguishIntense mental suffering
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- agonyExtreme physical or emotional pain
trauma · misery · distress · affliction · woe · heartache · grief · sorrow · despair · hardship
severity
Intensity of sternness
- sternnessUncompromising strictness of manner
- rigorStrict, thorough precision
- strictnessInflexibility in enforcement
inflexibility · draconian · unforgiving · relentlessness · punitiveness · grimness · austerity · heavy-handedness · oppressiveness · iron-fisted
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
- bad attitudesnegativity, cynicism, pessimism, hostility, contempt
- bad behaviorslying, cheating, stealing, rudeness, gossiping
- bad traitsmeanness, rudeness, dishonesty, hostility, nastiness
- human naturehuman nature, emotions, instincts, human condition, desires
- misconductmisconduct, bullying, stealing, vandalism, cheating
crueltykindness
Considerate, caring disposition
compassion · tenderness · gentleness · warmth · kindheartedness
crueltybenevolence
Disposition toward doing good
humanity · charity · benignity · goodness · charitableness
- animal crueltyMistreatment of beasts
- cruel kindness
- cruel twist
- cruel jokeDeliberately hurtful humor
- cruel words
- cruel and unusualExcessively harsh and abnormal
cruel, cruelly, cruelties, cruellest, cruelness, crueller, crueler, cruelest, cruelty-free