cruelly B2 Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈkɹuːəli/ See IPA manual 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 AI details From Middle English cruelly; equivalent to cruel + -ly. cruelly Middle English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # 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 - Describing Qualities markdown