cruelly

/ˈkɹuːli/KROO-lee

/ˈkɹuli/KROO-lee

Meaningin a cruel way

Common meaning: unkindly, causing pain

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

Journey through time

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

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: Formed in English from cruel + -ly.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), CRUEL, p.144 · scan

Roots

crūdus Latin “raw, unripe”

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