Is There a Word Cruel?

adjective, cru·el·er, cru·el·est. willfully or knowingly causing pain or distress to others.

What does the word cruel suggest?

1 : disposed to inflict pain or suffering : devoid of humane feelings a cruel tyrant has a cruel heart. 2a : causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain a cruel joke a cruel twist of fate.

Is cruel the same as mean?

As adjectives the difference between mean and cruel

is that mean is (obsolete) common; general or mean can be having the mean (see noun below ) as its value while cruel is not nice; mean; heartless.