CRUELTY DEFINITIONS - 12 definitions found
cruelty n 1: a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering [syn: cruelty, inhuman treatment] 2: feelings of extreme heartlessness [syn: cruelty, mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness] 3: the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance [syn: cruelty, cruelness, harshness] cruelty cutlery Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) cruelty noun (plural -ties) Etymology: Middle English cruelte, from Anglo-French cruelté, from Latin crudelitat-, crudelitas, from crudelis Date: 13th century 1. the quality or state of being cruel 2. a. a cruel action b. inhuman treatment 3. marital conduct held (as in a divorce action) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear Oxford English Reference Dictionary
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner\'s English Dictionary cruelty (cruelties) Cruelty is behaviour that deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals. Britain had laws against cruelty to animals but none to protect children... He had been unable to escape the cruelties of war. N-VAR: usu with supp, oft N to n English Explanatory Dictionary cruelty ˈkruəltɪ n. (pl. -ies) 1 a cruel act or attitude; indifference to another's suffering. 2 a succession of cruel acts; a continued cruel attitude (suffered much cruelty). 3 Law physical or mental harm inflicted (whether or not intentional), esp. as a ground for divorce. [OF crualt÷ ult. f. L crudelitas] English-Old English dictionary cruelty Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations Cruelty A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch, Uncapable of pity, void and empty From any dram of mercy. SHAKESPEARE: M. of Venice, Act iv., Sc. 1. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) Cruelty \Cru"el*ty\ (-t[y^]), n.; pl. Cruelties (-t[i^]z). [OF. cruelt['e], F. cruaut['e], fr. L. crudelitas, fr. crudelis. See Cruel.] Soule\'s Dictionary of English Synonyms cruelty n. Inhumanity, barbarity, ruthlessness, brutality, brutishness, ferocity, savageness, truculence, blood-thirstiness. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 52 Moby Thesaurus words for "cruelty": animality, atrociousness, atrocity, barbarity, barbarousness, beastliness, bestiality, bloodiness, bloodlust, bloodthirst, bloodthirstiness, bloody-mindedness, brutality, brutalness, brutishness, cannibalism, cruelness, ferociousness, ferocity, fiendishness, fierceness, flintiness, hardness, harshness, heartlessness, inclemency, inexorableness, inhumaneness, inhumanity, mercilessness, pitilessness, relentlessness, remorselessness, ruthlessness, sadism, sadistic cruelty, sanguineousness, savagery, short shrift, tender mercies, truculence, uncompassionateness, unfeelingness, unforgivingness, unmercifulness, unremorsefulness, unsympatheticness, unyieldingness, vandalism, viciousness, violence, wanton cruelty |
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