cru·el 
/ˈkru:l/ adjective
US cru·el·er or British cru·el·ler; US cru·el·est or British cru·el·lest /ˈkru:l/ adjective [also more cruel; most cruel] 1 — used to describe people who hurt others and do not feel sorry about it ▪ a cruel dictator/tyrant ▪ Children can be cruel, as any child who has been made fun of by others knows. ▪ He says he can't trust people who are cruel to animals. ▪ a cruel smile [=the smile of a cruel person] 2 : causing or helping to cause suffering : terrible and unfair
▪ a cruel joke ▪ It was a very cruel [=hurtful] thing to say. ▪ I thought it was rather cruel [=unkind] of them to give her all the dirty work. ▪ a cruel twist of fate ▪ Hunger is a cruel fact of nature. ▪ Life has dealt them some cruel blows in recent years. [=some very bad things have happened to them in recent years] ▪ The law forbids cruel and unusual punishment. [=punishment that is very harsh and inappropriate for the crime]
▪ a cruel joke ▪ It was a very cruel [=hurtful] thing to say. ▪ I thought it was rather cruel [=unkind] of them to give her all the dirty work. ▪ a cruel twist of fate ▪ Hunger is a cruel fact of nature. ▪ Life has dealt them some cruel blows in recent years. [=some very bad things have happened to them in recent years] ▪ The law forbids cruel and unusual punishment. [=punishment that is very harsh and inappropriate for the crime]
— cru·el·ly adverb
▪ treated cruelly ▪ He was cruelly beaten.
▪ treated cruelly ▪ He was cruelly beaten.
