adv
cruelly
KROO-uh-lee
adv
1
In a way that causes deliberate pain or suffering; mercilessly.
"The prisoners were treated cruelly by their captors."
2
To a harsh or bitter degree.
"The joke was cruelly accurate."
How to Use Cruelly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDone in a harsh, merciless way.
Common pairings
treated cruelly
cruelly mocked
Word Forms
more cruelly comparative, most cruelly superlative
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The prisoners were treated _____ by their captors.