- cruelty
- I(Roget's IV) n.Syn. brutality, barbarity, sadism, savageness, unkindness, inhumanity, barbarism, mercilessness, barbarousness, unmercifulness, wickedness, ruthlessness, severity, malignity, malice, rancor, venom, coldness, unfeelingness, callousness, insensibility, indifference, insensitivity, fierceness, viciousness, bestiality, animality, truculence, ferocity, savagery, brutishness, implacability, grimness, monstrousness, inflexibility, fiendishness, hardness of heart, bloodthirstiness, unnaturalness, heartlessness, relentlessness, torture, persecution, inquisition, despotism, harshness, outrage, atrocity; see also evil 1 , tyranny .Ant. benevolence, kindness*, humanity.II(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.viciousness, ferocity, inhumanity, meanness, savagery, brutality, barbarity, sadism, cold-bloodedness, heartlessness, bestiality, ruthlessness.ANT.: kindness, compassion, benevolenceIII(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun A cruel act or an instance of cruel behavior: barbarity, bestiality, brutality, inhumanity, savagery, truculence, truculency. See ATTITUDE, KIND.
English dictionary for students. 2013.