cruelly

/ˈkruːəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkruːəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkrü-(ə-)lē/ (ame, mw)

cruelly — adverb

1. behaving or speaking towards someone or something in a deliberately hurtful way,

1.副詞B1
釋義

behaving or speaking towards someone or something in a deliberately hurtful way, with no concern for their feelings.

例句

Rin's classmates cruelly mocked her accent during her first week at the school.

cruelly + verb of mistreatment (mocked)

The villagers were cruelly punished for refusing to cooperate with the soldiers.

passive: were cruelly punished

同義詞
  • brutally

    emphasizes physical violence or rough treatment

  • viciously

    suggests deliberate malice and a desire to harm

  • mercilessly

    highlights a complete lack of pity or compassion

反義詞
  • kindly

    with warmth and concern for others

  • gently

    with care and softness

文法句型

cruelly + verb of mistreatment (mock, punish, abandon)

用法筆記

Pairs with verbs describing harmful actions toward people or animals, such as mock, punish, treat, abandon, exclude, or reject.

常見錯誤

❌He cruel hit the dog.
✅He cruelly hit the dog.
💡'cruel' is an adjective; the adverb 'cruelly' must be used to modify verbs.

2. used for events or situations that inflict great pain or hardship on someone, of

2.副詞B1
釋義

used for events or situations that inflict great pain or hardship on someone, often giving a sense of unfairness.

例句

The drought cruelly destroyed the crops that farmers had planted with such hope.

cruelly + verb of destruction (destroyed)

Quan was cruelly trapped in a job that paid barely enough to survive.

passive: was cruelly trapped in

同義詞
  • harshly

    emphasizes the severity of the situation

  • painfully

    focuses on the suffering experienced by the victim

  • grimly

    suggests a bleak, hopeless quality in events

反義詞
  • mercifully

    used when a difficult situation ends or is avoided

文法句型

cruelly + verb of circumstance (destroy, trap, separate, take away)

用法筆記

Typically describes impersonal forces such as fate, weather, or circumstances rather than deliberate human cruelty. Distinguish from sense 1, where a person intentionally behaves in a hurtful way.

3. used before adjectives or verbs to mean 'extremely' or 'to a very harsh degree,'

3.副詞B2
釋義

used before adjectives or verbs to mean 'extremely' or 'to a very harsh degree,' emphasizing how unpleasant or difficult something is.

例句

The rent in that neighborhood was cruelly expensive for a young teacher like Megan.

collocation: cruelly expensive

Walid's training schedule was cruelly demanding, with workouts at five every morning.

collocation: cruelly demanding

同義詞
  • terribly

    more common in everyday speech as an intensifier

  • dreadfully

    similar dramatic tone; slightly more common in British English

  • awfully

    very common in everyday speech across varieties of English

文法句型

cruelly + adjective (expensive, demanding, cold)

cruelly + verb of harsh quality (blow, cut)

用法筆記

This usage is somewhat literary or dramatic in tone rather than everyday casual speech. Common in fixed pairings such as cruelly expensive and cruelly cold.

常見錯誤

❌It was cruelly hot outside.
✅The midday sun was cruelly hot that afternoon.
💡The intensifier sounds most natural when describing a situation that feels actively harsh or oppressive, not just any quality.