Simple meaning
What does Cruel mean?
Cruel means mean in a hurtful way.
Dictionary definition
Cruel means causing pain on purpose or not caring about others' feelings.
Example sentences
Cruel in a sentence
easy
In class, we learned what cruel means.
medium
The story used cruel to show how characters handled conflict.
hard
Using cruel in my writing helped explain social tension and resolution more clearly.
Synonyms
Words like Cruel
meanRelated meaning; check context for exact use.
hurtfulRelated meaning; check context for exact use.
harshRelated meaning; check context for exact use.
Antonyms
Opposite words
supportiveHelpful contrast for understanding meaning.
kindHelpful contrast for understanding meaning.
Word family
Cruel word family
Base word
cruel
adjective
cruel
Base form.
Related words
Explore related words
Quick practice
Try Cruel
Practice 1
What does cruel mean?
CRUEL means cruel means mean in a hurtful way.
Practice this skill
Practice vocabulary in WordHive
Use the dictionary to understand Cruel, then move into short activities matched to the skills on this page.
Learning paths
- Define the Word Hive for word meanings.
- Synonym Search for word choice.
- Context Clue Challenge for sentence clues.
- Buzz Between for homophones and listening.
- Hive Builder for roots, prefixes, and suffixes.