Cruel synonyms such as distressing, abominable, agonizing, and bitter. Cruel is an adjective, and its antonyms are compassionate and merciful. Additionally, here are 77 synonyms, related words, and verbs for cruel.
Abominable, atrocious, barbaric, barbarous, beastly, bloodless, bloodthirsty, brutal, brutish, callous, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, cut-throat, dastardly, devilish, diabolical, draconian, evil, ferocious, fiendish, fierce, flinty, ghastly, hard-hearted, harsh, heartless, heinous, hideous, homicidal, inclement, inhuman, inhumane, mean, merciless, monstrous, murderous, nasty, pitiless, remorseless, ruthless, sadistic, sanguinary, savage, severe, spiteful, stern, stony-hearted, uncaring, uncharitable, unemotional, unfeeling, unkind, unmerciful, unrelenting, unsparing, unsympathetic, vicious, vile, and wicked.
Agonizing, bitter, distressful, distressing, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, harrowing, harsh, heart-rending, heartbreaking, painful, severe, tough, traumatic, and upsetting.