Synonyms and antonyms of Cruel and unkind in British Thesaurus

feral (adjective)

formal used to describe people who behave in a wild or violent way

cruel (adjective)

someone who is cruel enjoys causing pain to other people or animals, or enjoys making them unhappy or upset

unkind (adjective)

unfriendly, insulting, or cruel

evil (adjective)

an evil person does very bad or cruel things

awful (adjective)

very cruel or unkind

inhuman (adjective)

extremely cruel, and not caring when other people are suffering

hateful (adjective)

extremely bad, unpleasant, or cruel

uncharitable (adjective)

unkind in what you say or think about someone

hard (adjective)

unkind, or cruel

monstrous (adjective)

cruel, unfair, or morally wrong

abusive (adjective)

treating someone in a cruel or violent way

atrocious (adjective)

very evil or cruel

bad (adjective)

behaving in a cruel, evil, or criminal way

badly (adverb)

in an unkind, unfair, or unreasonable way

barbaric (adjective)

extremely violent and cruel

barbarous (adjective)

extremely violent and cruel

bestial (adjective)

bestial behaviour is extremely cruel

bitchy (adjective)

informal rude or cruel about or towards someone else

black (adjective)

literary evil or cruel

brutal (adjective)

a brutal person is extremely violent or cruel

brutish (adjective)

literary violent and cruel

catty (adjective)

used for describing someone who enjoys saying cruel or unpleasant things about other people

cheapjack (adjective)

unfair or unkind

cold-blooded (adjective)

deliberately cruel and showing no emotion

cowardly (adjective)

cruel towards someone who is weaker than you

cruel (adjective)

used about someone’s behaviour

dastardly (adjective)

old-fashioned very cruel or evil

despotic (adjective)

using power in a cruel and unreasonable way

diabolical (adjective)

evil or cruel

fiendish (adjective)

a fiendish plan or idea is very clever but cruel

Gestapo (adjective)

used for referring to cruel actions by officials with complete power over people

harsh (adjective)

harsh actions, words, judgments, or laws are strict, unkind, and often unfair

horrible (adjective)

informal unkind

hurtful (adjective)

causing emotional pain

inhumane (adjective)

treating people or animals in a very cruel way

malicious (adjective)

unkind and showing a strong feeling of wanting to hurt someone

malignant (adjective)

formal showing that you want to do something bad to someone

mean (adjective)

informal cruel, or unkind

merciless (adjective)

mainly literary very cruel

nasty (adjective)

nasty behaviour is unkind or offensive

nasty (adjective)

a nasty person says or does unkind things to people

nasty (adjective)

used for talking about behaviour and people that are threatening

personal (adjective)

aimed at one particular person, in an unfriendly or offensive way

pitiless (adjective)

literary cruel and showing no sympathy

poisonous (adjective)

extremely unpleasant or unkind

predatory (adjective)

treating other people badly for your own benefit

ruthless (adjective)

willing to make other people suffer so that you can achieve your aims

sadistic (adjective)

getting pleasure from hurting or being cruel to someone else

satanic (adjective)

very evil and cruel

savage (adjective)

cruel and unpleasant or violent

sharp-tongued (adjective)

tending to criticize people or to speak to them in a cruel or angry way

sick (adjective)

used about someone who behaves in a cruel or unpleasant way

snarky (adjective)

Americaninformal said in a way that is intended to make someone feel stupid or bad

snide (adjective)

deliberately unkind in an indirect way

twisted (adjective)

informal someone who is twisted or has a twisted mind behaves in a strange and cruel way

tyrannical (adjective)

using power in a cruel and unfair way

ungenerous (adjective)

ungenerous comments or attitudes are unfair or unkind, and show that someone is too willing to criticize

unnecessary (adjective)

unkind, rude, or offensive

unsparing (adjective)

used about the cruel behaviour of someone who does not care if they hurt people

venomous (adjective)

extremely unpleasant and full of very strong anger or hate

vicious (adjective)

extremely unkind or unpleasant

vindictive (adjective)

someone who is vindictive is cruel to anyone who hurts them and will not forgive them

vindictive (adjective)

used about people’s behaviour

vitriolic (adjective)

vitriolic language or behaviour is cruel and full of hate

waspish (adjective)

someone who is waspish often says cruel things in an angry way

wicked (adjective)

slightly cruel but not intending to upset people

wicked (adjective)

expressing a slightly cruel type of enjoyment

with malice aforethought ()

with a deliberate intention of causing harm