crueler
crueler — adjective
- cruelerpositive
- cruelerercomparative
- cruelerestsuperlative
1. treating people or animals in a way that shows less kindness and a stronger inte
treating people or animals in a way that shows less kindness and a stronger intention to cause hurt or pain than someone or something else does
The new manager was even crueler toward the interns than the previous one had been.
crueler toward [someone] + comparative than
Noa noticed the stray dogs grew crueler as winter came and food grew scarce.
Years of isolation made Mizuki crueler to everyone, pushing away even her closest friends.
Neighbors said the dog's owner had grown crueler, leaving the animal outside without food.
Vikram could not recall a teacher crueler than Ms. Hargrave, who mocked wrong answers.
- more vicious
implies stronger intent to harm, often with violence
- meaner
less formal, used in everyday speech about small acts of unkindness
- harsher
broader; can describe either people or conditions
文法句型
crueler to + [someone]
crueler than + [someone/something]
用法筆記
Often appears with verbs showing change over time (grow, become, get). Subject is typically a person, group, or animal whose behaviour becomes more unkind.
常見錯誤
2. causing greater emotional or physical distress, hardship, or grief than somethin
causing greater emotional or physical distress, hardship, or grief than something else does — used about events, conditions, or experiences rather than people
The drought that year proved crueler than any the villagers had faced in living memory.
proved crueler than [something] — event/condition as subject
For Linh and her family, losing their home was crueler than the earthquake itself.
Elena found the loneliness of living abroad crueler than any challenge she had prepared for.
The court's decision felt crueler than the crime itself, leaving the grieving family with nothing.
Camille found her brother's silence crueler than any angry words he could have said.
- more painful
directly emphasises the suffering caused
- harder
less formal, very common in everyday speech
- more severe
stresses the seriousness or extremity of the hardship
文法句型
crueler than + [something]
crueler [noun]
用法筆記
Subject is usually an impersonal thing — a situation, event, or outcome. Cannot refer to a person's deliberate actions (use Sense 1 for that).
常見錯誤
3. more strict, severe, and uncompromising, with no mercy or leniency — used about
more strict, severe, and uncompromising, with no mercy or leniency — used about laws, punishments, judgments, or systems
The sentence handed down was far crueler than the law required for a first offense.
far crueler than + [legal context] — formal register
Noor argued the ban on student groups was crueler than rules at other campuses.
Critics described the regime's emergency decree as crueler than the laws it had replaced.
The general issued orders crueler than any his soldiers had followed in earlier campaigns.
- more severe
broader; covers any kind of strictness or intensity
- harsher
common in everyday and formal use for punishments
- more relentless
emphasises that the harshness never stops
- more lenient
less strict, more forgiving
- more merciful
showing compassion and forgiveness
文法句型
crueler than + [something]
crueler [punishment/law/sentence]
用法筆記
Typically found in formal or legal contexts. Subject is an institution, rule, or system — not a person acting on impulse. Distinguish from Sense 2: Sense 3 focuses on deliberate lack of leniency in a system, while Sense 2 focuses on the suffering a situation causes.