1. in a way that causes pain or suffering to others without mercy

Examples

• The dictator cruelly oppressed his people for decades.
• She was cruelly teased by her classmates about her appearance.
• The winter wind cruelly whipped across the frozen landscape.
• He cruelly abandoned his family when they needed him most.
• The critic cruelly dismissed the young artist’s work.
• Animals should never be cruelly treated in captivity.