cruelty
Translation
cruelty, brutality, inhumanity
Examples
He was shocked by the cruelty of the war.
He was shocked by the cruelty of the war.
She reported the acts of cruelty to animals.
She reported the acts of cruelty to animals.
Grammar Patterns
((of sth.)) the quality of being cruel The cruelty of his actions was unbelievable.
((to sb./sth.)) cruel behavior towards sb./sth. He was accused of cruelty to animals.
Similar Words
Synonyms: brutality, barbarity; Antonyms: kindness, compassion
Etymology
From Latin 'crudelis' (cruel), with the noun-forming suffix '-ty'.
Memory Tips
If you know the adjective 'cruel', just add '-ty' to get the noun for the quality of being cruel.