Cruel describes someone who hurts others or treats them badly on purpose. It is used when a person or action causes pain or suffering.
The man was cruel to the dog.
She said cruel words to her friend.
Here, cruel describes events or things that cause hard or painful results. It means very bad or harsh, but not about people only.
The cruel winter froze the plants.
Cruel storms damaged many homes.
Cruel can mean causing pain to feelings, not just the body. It includes actions or words that emotionally hurt someone on purpose.
It is cruel to ignore a sad friend.
She played a cruel trick on him.
When used about tests, rules, or situations, cruel means very hard or unfair. It shows something is not easy or kind to handle.
The cruel test made students nervous.
A cruel law punished small mistakes.
As a verb, cruel means to hurt or harm others on purpose. This use is very old and not common now. It appears in historical or literary texts.
The king cruelled his enemies long ago.
They cruelled prisoners in the past.
Sometimes cruel describes bad luck or fate. It means something unlucky or very sad that happens without kindness.
Cruel fate took his family away.
She suffered a cruel twist of fate.
