- [uncountable] cruelty (to somebody/something)
behaviour that causes physical or mental pain to others and makes them suffer, especially deliberately （尤指蓄意的）殘酷，殘忍，殘暴 cruelty to animals 對動物的虐待 The deliberate cruelty of his words cut her like a knife. 他故意說的那些殘酷無情的話對她像刀割一樣。
Extra ExamplesHer stepmother showed her nothing but cruelty. 她的繼母對她只有虐待。 How can you inflict such cruelty on a child? 你怎能如此虐待一個孩子？ She was shocked to see such cruelty. 看到這樣的殘忍行爲她很震驚。 The children suffered mental cruelty and neglect. 孩子們受到精神虐待，缺乏關愛。 an act of extreme cruelty 一種極端殘酷的行爲 the depths of human cruelty 人類的極端殘忍
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- extreme
- great
- deliberate
- …
- inflict
- show (somebody)
- suffer
- …
- cruelty to
- cruelty towards/toward
- [countable, usually plural]
a cruel action 殘暴的行爲 Frightening cruelties were inflicted on child factory workers well into the 19th century. 一直到19世紀，兒童工廠工人遭受了可怕的殘酷對待。
- [countable, uncountable]
something that happens that seems unfair 不公；不平 the cruelties of life 生活中的種種不公
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French crualte, based on Latin crudelitas, from crudelis, related to crudus ‘raw, rough’.