# cruelty

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkɹuː(ə)lti/ · frequency rank #10,186

## Definitions
1. An indifference to suffering or pleasure in inflicting suffering.
2. A cruel act.

## Etymology
From Middle English cruelte, from Old French crualté (French cruauté), from Latin crudelitas. By surface analysis, cruel + -ty.

## Easily confused with
- **crusty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruelty-vs-crusty)
- **cruel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruel-vs-cruelty)
- **cruelly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cruelly-vs-cruelty)
- **crudely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/crudely-vs-cruelty)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ccruelty`, `creulty`, `crruelty`, `cruellty`, `crueltty`, `crueltyy`, `cruelyt`, `cruetly`, `crulety`, `curelty`, `rcuelty`

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