Download the app
educalingo
Search
In the name of noble purposes men have committed unspeakable acts of cruelty against one another.
J. William Fulbright

Meaning of "cruelty" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF CRUELTY

cruelty  [ˈkruːəltɪ] play
facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsapp

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CRUELTY

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Cruelty is a noun.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES CRUELTY MEAN IN ENGLISH?

cruelty

Cruelty

Cruelty is indifference to suffering, and even pleasure in inflicting it. Sadism can also be related to this form of action or concept. Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involve violence, but affirmative violence is not necessary for an act to be cruel. For example, if a person is drowning and begging for help, and another person is able to help, but merely watches with disinterest or perhaps mischievous amusement, that person is being cruel — rather than violent. George Eliot stated that "cruelty, like every other vice, requires no motive outside of itself; it only requires opportunity." Bertrand Russell stated that "the infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists. That is why they invented Hell." Gilbert K. Chesterton stated that "cruelty is, perhaps, the worst kind of sin. Intellectual cruelty is certainly the worst kind of cruelty."...

Definition of cruelty in the English dictionary

The first definition of cruelty in the dictionary is deliberate infliction of pain or suffering. Other definition of cruelty is the quality or characteristic of being cruel. Cruelty is also a cruel action.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CRUELTY


admiralty
ˈædmərəltɪ
anticruelty
ˌæntɪˈkruːəltɪ
casualty
ˈkæʒjʊəltɪ
commonalty
ˈkɒmənəltɪ
difficulty
ˈdɪfɪkəltɪ
disloyalty
dɪsˈlɔɪəltɪ
faculty
ˈfækəltɪ
fealty
ˈfiːəltɪ
lealty
ˈliːəltɪ
loyalty
ˈlɔɪəltɪ
mayoralty
ˈmɛərəltɪ
novelty
ˈnɒvəltɪ
penalty
ˈpɛnəltɪ
personalty
ˈpɜːsənəltɪ
realty
ˈrɪəltɪ
royalty
ˈrɔɪəltɪ
specialty
ˈspɛʃəltɪ
subtlety
ˈsʌtəltɪ
vice-admiralty
ˌvaɪsˈædmərəltɪ
viceroyalty
ˌvaɪsˈrɔɪəltɪ

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE CRUELTY

crudely
Cruden
crudeness
crudity
crudy
cruel
cruelly
cruelness
cruels
cruelties
cruelty-free
cruet
cruet set
Cruft
Cruikshank
cruise
cruise control
cruise missile
cruiser
cruiserweight

WORDS THAT END LIKE CRUELTY

child cruelty
death penalty
degree of difficulty
faulty
felty
frailty
guilty
kelty
malty
melty
mental cruelty
owelty
persistent cruelty
plead guilty
salty
shelty
the death penalty
theatre of cruelty
university faculty
Welty

Synonyms and antonyms of cruelty in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «CRUELTY»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «cruelty» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of cruelty

Translation of «cruelty» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF CRUELTY

Find out the translation of cruelty to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of cruelty from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «cruelty» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

残忍
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

crueldad
570 millions of speakers

English

cruelty
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

क्रूरता
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

قَسْوَة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

жестокость
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

crueldade
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

নিষ্ঠুরতা
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

cruauté
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kekejaman
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Grausamkeit
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

残酷
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

잔학함
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Kekejeman
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

sự tàn nhẫn
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

கொடுமை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

क्रूरता
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

acımasızlık
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

crudeltà
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

okrucieństwo
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

жорстокість
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

cruzime
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

σκληρότητα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

wreedheid
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

grymhet
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

grusomhet
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of cruelty

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CRUELTY»

The term «cruelty» is very widely used and occupies the 20.913 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
91
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «cruelty» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of cruelty
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «cruelty».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CRUELTY» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «cruelty» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «cruelty» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about cruelty

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «CRUELTY»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word cruelty.
1
Josephine Baker
I wanted to get far away from those who believed in cruelty, so then I went to France, a land of true freedom, democracy, equality and fraternity.
2
Peter Baynham
I have always been against cruelty to animals and remain so.
3
Elizabeth Bowen
Fantasy is toxic: the private cruelty and the world war both have their start in the heated brain.
4
Pierce Brown
Conceptually, I always took issue with bullies and those who took advantage of others, whether it was a teacher's cruelty to a student, or a student who picked fights with others.
5
Jung Chang
I think because of their terrible past, particularly this century, the Chinese have come to accept cruelty more than many other people, which is something I feel very unhappy about.
6
Ilka Chase
It is usually when men are at their most religious that they behave with the least sense and the greatest cruelty.
7
Andrea Dworkin
Being a Jew, one learns to believe in the reality of cruelty and one learns to recognize indifference to human suffering as a fact.
8
Jodie Foster
Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable.
9
James Anthony Froude
Fear is the parent of cruelty.
10
J. William Fulbright
In the name of noble purposes men have committed unspeakable acts of cruelty against one another.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CRUELTY»

Discover the use of cruelty in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to cruelty and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain
In this thoughtful exploration of a painful subject, Kathleen Taylor seeks to bring together the fruits of work in psychology, sociology, and her own field of neuroscience to shed light on the nature of cruelty and what makes human beings ...
Kathleen Eleanor Taylor, 2009
2
Just a Dog: Understanding Animal Cruelty and Ourselves
How can we make sense of acts of cruelty towards animals?
Arnold Arluke, 2006
3
Animal Cruelty: Pathway to Violence Against People
Practitioners in the animal welfare field, law enforcement circles, and social services arena have often maintained that childhood cruelty to animals is a forerunner to violence against people.
Linda Merz-Perez, Kathleen M. Heide, 2004
4
Medieval Cruelty: Changing Perceptions, Late Antiquity to ...
Daniel Baraz makes the striking discovery that the concept of cruelty, which had been an important issue in late antiquity, received little attention in the medieval period before the thirteenth century.
Daniel Baraz, 2003
5
The International Handbook of Animal Abuse and Cruelty: ...
The International Handbook of Animal Abuse and Cruelty: Theory, Research, and Application is the authoritative, up-to-date compendium covering the historical, legal, research, and applied issues related to animal abuse and cruelty from ...
Frank R. Ascione, 2010
6
For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and Legacy of ...
Presents the history of animal rights activism in the United States since its formation in 1866, and describes the moral, philosophical, and legal issues that have surrounded the organization in recent decades.
Diane L. Beers, 2006
7
Cruelty and Laughter: Forgotten Comic Literature and the ...
Simon Dickie disputes these assumptions in Cruelty and Laughter, a wildly enjoyable but shocking plunge into the forgotten comic literature of the age.
Simon Dickie, 2011
8
The Medieval Theater of Cruelty: Rhetoric, Memory, Violence
Exploring the cultural connections among rhetoric, law, drama, literary creation, and violence, Jody Enders addresses an issue that has long troubled students of the Middle Ages.
Jody Enders, 2002
9
Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty
Explores cruelty and violence in human behavior, tracing its roots in psychology, sociology, anthropology, criminology, and history
Roy F. Baumeister, Aaron Beck, 1999
10
Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence: Readings in ...
Contains 46 articles by various authors concerned with cruelty to animals and how that relates to violent human relations.
Randall Lockwood, Frank R. Ascione, 1998

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CRUELTY»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term cruelty is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Sheriff: Woman charged with 21 counts of cruelty to animals
A Georgia woman is charged with 21 counts of cruelty to animals, according to Stephens County Sheriff Randy Shirley. More News. «WYFF Greenville, Jul 15»
2
Animal cruelty charges laid against Calgary senior
A 75-year-old man has been charged with animal cruelty after two dead cats were found in a southeast dumpster on Monday. A utility worker ... «CTV News, Jul 15»
3
Prosecutors dismiss Davenport animal cruelty case
Charges have been dismissed against a former Davenport man who was accused of abandoning two dogs in an apartment late last year. «Quad City Times, Jul 15»
4
Washington thug attacked PC weeks after being spared prison for …
Michael Johnson and his partner admitted child cruelty charges after little Kiera Johnson was found dead with amphetamine in her system. «ChronicleLive, Jul 15»
5
Mum denies cruelty after starved to dog found hanging from blinds
Aleshia McLaverty - accused of dog cruelty. Number 371 Firmount Drive where a Labrador dog died in horrific circumstances. Firmount Drive ... «Belfast Telegraph, Jul 15»
6
Puppy farmer withdraws appeal to animal cruelty convictions
Emerton pleaded guilty to fourteen different animal cruelty charges in Coffs Harbour Local Court, and was prohibited from owning more than ... «ABC Local, Jul 15»
7
Md. man found guilty of animal cruelty after shooting escaped …
The Daily Times of Salisbury reports that 55-year-old John N. Price of Westover was found guilty of animal cruelty, aggravated animal cruelty ... «WJLA, Jul 15»
8
Animal Cruelty Investigation After Dog Poisoning in Dayton
Animal Cruelty Investigation After Dog Poisoning in Dayton ... afternoon on reports of a possible animal cruelty case off Sherman Street. «WKEF ABC 22, Jul 15»
9
Kristen Lindsey May Get Away without Animal Cruelty Charges
When Texas veterinarian Dr. Kristin Lindsey posted an image on her Facebook page of a cat she boasting shooting with an arrow through this ... «ChicagoNow, Jul 15»
10
Man Accused of Animal Cruelty Agrees to Plea Deal
A San Patricio man pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of animal cruelty and will not serve any jail time. 63-year old Arturo Aleman entered ... «KIII TV3, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Cruelty [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/cruelty>. May 2024 ».
Download the educalingo app
en
English dictionary
Discover all that is hidden in the words on
index
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z