# cruel

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈkɹuːəl/ · frequency rank #5,869

## Definitions
1. Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless.
2. Harsh; severe.
3. Cool; awesome; neat.

## Etymology
From Middle English cruel, borrowed from Old French cruel, from Latin crūdēlis (“hard, severe, cruel”), akin to crūdus (“raw, crude”); see crude.

## Easily confused with
- **cue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cue)
- **Cruz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cruz)
- **cues** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cues)
- **curl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-curl)
- **crux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-crux)
- **cull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cull)
- **crush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-crush)
- **crust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-crust)
- **crumb** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-crumb)
- **crump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-crump)
- **cruelty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cruelty)
- **cruelly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cruelly)
- **cel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cel-vs-cruel)
- **cru** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cru-vs-cruel)
- **crew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crew-vs-cruel)
- **clue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clue-vs-cruel)
- **Cree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cree-vs-cruel)
- **cred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cred-vs-cruel)
- **crud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crud-vs-cruel)
- **creek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/creek-vs-cruel)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ccruel`, `creul`, `crruel`, `cruell`, `crule`, `curel`, `rcuel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cruel