Added 9 October 2026
cruelty
/ˈkɹuː(.ə)lti/ noun
In Latin: immānitās Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about cruelty at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering.
- Feelings of extreme heartlessness.
- The quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance.
Origin
From Middle English cruelte, from Old French crualté (French cruauté), from Latin crudelitas. By surface analysis, cruel + -ty.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)