cruel
verb/ˈkruːəl/
/ˈkruːəl/
(Australian English, informal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they cruel | /ˈkruːəl/ /ˈkruːəl/ |
| he / she / it cruels | /ˈkruːəlz/ /ˈkruːəlz/ |
| past simple cruelled | /ˈkruːəld/ /ˈkruːəld/ |
| past participle cruelled | /ˈkruːəld/ /ˈkruːəld/ |
| -ing form cruelling | /ˈkruːəlɪŋ/ /ˈkruːəlɪŋ/ |
- cruel something to negatively affect an opportunity or a chance of success
- He cruelled his interview by arriving late and being completely unprepared.
- A back injury cruelled her chances in the final.
Word OriginMiddle English: via Old French from Latin crudelis, related to crudus ‘raw, rough’.Want to learn more?
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cruel