cruelly

B2 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /ˈkɹuːəli/ See IPA manual

adv Freq #22969

Meanings

1

adv
In a way that causes pain or suffering on purpose; unkindly.

The animals had been treated cruelly by their owner.
2

adv
In a harsh or painfully severe way.

Their hopes were cruelly disappointed at the last minute.

Etymology

From Middle English cruelly; equivalent to cruel + -ly.

cruelly Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings

# cruelly

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adv
**IPA (US):** ˈkɹuːəli
**Frequency rank:** 22969

## Meanings
1. In a way that causes pain or suffering on purpose; unkindly.
2. In a harsh or painfully severe way.

## Examples
- The animals had been treated cruelly by their owner.
- Their hopes were cruelly disappointed at the last minute.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: cruelly

## Etymology
From Middle English cruelly; equivalent to cruel + -ly.

## AI Etymology
Cruelly is from Middle English cruelly; equivalent to cruel plus -ly. The suffix -ly recasts cruel as an adverb: the lexical idea remains recognizable, but the word now describes manner, degree, or circumstance rather than naming the quality by itself. In use as an adverb, cruelly denotes in a way that causes pain or suffering on purpose; unkindly and in a harsh or painfully severe way. Typical contexts include “The animals had been treated cruelly by their owner” and “Their hopes were cruelly disappointed at the last minute”.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings

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cruelly

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