Cruelty
noun
Doing things that hurt others or treating them badly.
The cruelty shown by the bullies was intolerable.
Often appears as...
- cruelty towards animals
- acts of cruelty
noun
A brutal character or act.
The cruelty of the situation was too much for her to handle.
Often appears as...
- inhuman cruelty
- face the cruelty
noun
An example or episode of inhuman treatment.
The children experienced terrible cruelties during the war.
Often appears as...
- cruelty and abuse
- suffer cruelty
noun
In a legal sense, behavior which causes physical or mental harm to another.
The man charged with felony cruelty toward a child appeared before the judge.
Often appears as...
- cruelty charges
- animal cruelty
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
noun
Doing things that hurt others or treating them badly.
The cruelty shown by the bullies was intolerable.
Often appears as...
- cruelty towards animals
- acts of cruelty
noun
A brutal character or act.
The cruelty of the situation was too much for her to handle.
Often appears as...
- inhuman cruelty
- face the cruelty
noun
An example or episode of inhuman treatment.
The children experienced terrible cruelties during the war.
Often appears as...
- cruelty and abuse
- suffer cruelty
noun
In a legal sense, behavior which causes physical or mental harm to another.
The man charged with felony cruelty toward a child appeared before the judge.
Often appears as...
- cruelty charges
- animal cruelty
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Negative Emotion
Cruelty often involves strong negative feelings towards others.
The villagers decried the cruelty of the invader's actions.
Pro Tip 2/2Impact on Victim
Emphasizes how the victim is negatively affected by the cruelty shown to them.
He couldn't forget the cruelty experienced at the hands of his captors.
Pro Tip 1/2Negative Emotion
Cruelty often involves strong negative feelings towards others.
The villagers decried the cruelty of the invader's actions.
Pro Tip 2/2Impact on Victim
Emphasizes how the victim is negatively affected by the cruelty shown to them.
He couldn't forget the cruelty experienced at the hands of his captors.
Pro Tip 1/2Negative Emotion
Cruelty often involves strong negative feelings towards others.
The villagers decried the cruelty of the invader's actions.
Pro Tip 2/2Impact on Victim
Emphasizes how the victim is negatively affected by the cruelty shown to them.
He couldn't forget the cruelty experienced at the hands of his captors.
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Video examples
Why some people are more...
that all around the world people are becoming less and less accepting of suffering in ever-widening circles of others, which has led to declines of all kinds of cruelty and violence, from animal abuse to domestic violence to capital punishment. And it's led to increases in all kinds of altruism. A hundred years ago, people would have thought it was ludicrous
Video examples
The surprising decline...
There's guilt about our treatment of native peoples in modern intellectual life, and an unwillingness to acknowledge there could be anything good about Western culture. And, of course, our change in standards can outpace the change in behavior. One of the reasons violence went down is that people got sick of the carnage and cruelty in their time.
Video examples
Steven Pinker and...
and the end depends on the reasoner's passions. Reason can lay out a road map to peace and harmony if the reasoner wants peace and harmony, but it can also lay out a road map to conflict and strife if the reasoner delights in conflict and strife. Can reason force the reasoner to want less cruelty and waste?
Video examples
Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my...
I suddenly understood that the crisis in my body was the crisis in the world, and it wasn't happening later, it was happening now. Suddenly, my cancer was a cancer that was everywhere, the cancer of cruelty, the cancer of greed, the cancer that gets inside people
Video examples
Mother Nature’s...
plants it's really beef without cruelty look at these comparisons Moringa has more vitamin A than carrots more iron than spinach potassium that madonna's calcium than milk protein than yogurt vitamin C than oranges and that's just
Video examples
Prison Victim PIPE National...
that English had shaken and beaten his son they arrested me for aggravated battery cruelty to children and then when they pulled the plug on my son's life they upgraded the charges to malice murder cruelty and children aggravated
Video examples
Is life meaningless? And...
The cruelty of his punishment lies in its singular futility, but Camus argues all of humanity is in the same position. And only when we accept the meaninglessness of our lives can we face the absurd with our heads held high.
Video examples
Why we have an emotional...
than to images on a screen. When we behave violently towards robots, specifically robots that are designed to mimic life, is that a healthy outlet for violent behavior or is that training our cruelty muscles? We don't know
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
to untether the lines. Many of them drown. For as long as he can recall, he's been forced to work on the lake. Terrified of his master, he will not run away, and since he's been treated with cruelty all his life,
Video examples
What we can do about the...
because now instead of just my own hate and cruelty to try to figure out, I had a whole world of hate I wanted to unravel and understand and fix.
Video examples
Why some people are more...
that all around the world people are becoming less and less accepting of suffering in ever-widening circles of others, which has led to declines of all kinds of cruelty and violence, from animal abuse to domestic violence to capital punishment. And it's led to increases in all kinds of altruism. A hundred years ago, people would have thought it was ludicrous
Video examples
The surprising decline...
There's guilt about our treatment of native peoples in modern intellectual life, and an unwillingness to acknowledge there could be anything good about Western culture. And, of course, our change in standards can outpace the change in behavior. One of the reasons violence went down is that people got sick of the carnage and cruelty in their time.
Video examples
Steven Pinker and...
and the end depends on the reasoner's passions. Reason can lay out a road map to peace and harmony if the reasoner wants peace and harmony, but it can also lay out a road map to conflict and strife if the reasoner delights in conflict and strife. Can reason force the reasoner to want less cruelty and waste?
Video examples
Eve Ensler: Suddenly, my...
I suddenly understood that the crisis in my body was the crisis in the world, and it wasn't happening later, it was happening now. Suddenly, my cancer was a cancer that was everywhere, the cancer of cruelty, the cancer of greed, the cancer that gets inside people
Video examples
Mother Nature’s...
plants it's really beef without cruelty look at these comparisons Moringa has more vitamin A than carrots more iron than spinach potassium that madonna's calcium than milk protein than yogurt vitamin C than oranges and that's just
Video examples
Prison Victim PIPE National...
that English had shaken and beaten his son they arrested me for aggravated battery cruelty to children and then when they pulled the plug on my son's life they upgraded the charges to malice murder cruelty and children aggravated
Video examples
Is life meaningless? And...
The cruelty of his punishment lies in its singular futility, but Camus argues all of humanity is in the same position. And only when we accept the meaninglessness of our lives can we face the absurd with our heads held high.
Video examples
Why we have an emotional...
than to images on a screen. When we behave violently towards robots, specifically robots that are designed to mimic life, is that a healthy outlet for violent behavior or is that training our cruelty muscles? We don't know
Video examples
Lisa Kristine: Photos...
to untether the lines. Many of them drown. For as long as he can recall, he's been forced to work on the lake. Terrified of his master, he will not run away, and since he's been treated with cruelty all his life,
Video examples
What we can do about the...
because now instead of just my own hate and cruelty to try to figure out, I had a whole world of hate I wanted to unravel and understand and fix.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Alice Walker
American Author
I'm not convinced that women have the education or the sense of their own history enough or that they understand the cruelty of which men are capable and the delight that many men will take in seeing you choose to chain yourself - then they get to say 'See, you did it yourself.
Quote examples
Richard Hofstadter
American Historian
The delicate thing about the university is that it has a mixed character, that it is suspended between its position in the eternal world, with all its corruption and evils and cruelties, and the splendid world of our imagination.
Quote examples
John McCain
American Politician
In the real world, as lived and experienced by real people, the demand for human rights and dignity, the longing for liberty and justice and opportunity, the hatred of oppression and corruption and cruelty is reality.
Quote examples
Sajid Khan
What immensely touches me and moves me is cruelty against children and elder people. That is something I am sensitive about, I don't cry otherwise.
Quote examples
George Eliot
British Author
Ignorant kindness may have the effect of cruelty; but to be angry with it as if it were direct cruelty would be an ignorant unkindness.
Quote examples
Bertrand Russell
British Philosopher
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Quote examples
Adrien Brody
American Actor
I think there's a lot of catastrophe in this world and a lot of cruelty and a lot of carelessness.
Quote examples
Ken Kesey
American Author
The truth doesn't have to do with cruelty, the truth has to do with mercy.
Quote examples
Ali MacGraw
American Actress
I'm very touched on a deep level by cruelty to animals.
Quote examples
Frank Herbert
American Writer
Kindness is the beginning of cruelty.
Quote examples
Alice Walker
American Author
I'm not convinced that women have the education or the sense of their own history enough or that they understand the cruelty of which men are capable and the delight that many men will take in seeing you choose to chain yourself - then they get to say 'See, you did it yourself.
Quote examples
Richard Hofstadter
American Historian
The delicate thing about the university is that it has a mixed character, that it is suspended between its position in the eternal world, with all its corruption and evils and cruelties, and the splendid world of our imagination.
Quote examples
John McCain
American Politician
In the real world, as lived and experienced by real people, the demand for human rights and dignity, the longing for liberty and justice and opportunity, the hatred of oppression and corruption and cruelty is reality.
Quote examples
Sajid Khan
What immensely touches me and moves me is cruelty against children and elder people. That is something I am sensitive about, I don't cry otherwise.
Quote examples
George Eliot
British Author
Ignorant kindness may have the effect of cruelty; but to be angry with it as if it were direct cruelty would be an ignorant unkindness.
Quote examples
Bertrand Russell
British Philosopher
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Quote examples
Adrien Brody
American Actor
I think there's a lot of catastrophe in this world and a lot of cruelty and a lot of carelessness.
Quote examples
Ken Kesey
American Author
The truth doesn't have to do with cruelty, the truth has to do with mercy.
Quote examples
Ali MacGraw
American Actress
I'm very touched on a deep level by cruelty to animals.
Quote examples
Frank Herbert
American Writer
Kindness is the beginning of cruelty.
Example 1 of 10
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