cruel

/kˈɹuːəl/KROO-uhl

/kˈɹuəl/KROO-uhl

Meaningraw; rough

Common meaning: delighting in pain

cruraw, unripeLewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 484 · scan
elsmall-thing ending (French -el)

Journey through time

Proto-Indo-European*kru-‘be hard, stiff, or sore’source
Latincrūdus‘raw, unripe’
Frenchcruel
Middle Englishcruelsource
Englishcruel‘delighting in pain’ · today

cru also in: crude recrudescence

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin crūdus ‘raw, unripe’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry crūdus, p. 484 · dictionary scan

Roots

crūdus Latin “raw, unripe”

Related words

crude recrudescence

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