Cruel and Earnest

Cruel

Cruel adjective - Having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others.

Earnest and cruel are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Earnest" instead an adjective "Cruel".

Nearby Words: cruelty, cruelly

Earnest

Earnest adjective - Not joking or playful in mood or manner.

Cruel and earnest are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Cruel" instead an adjective "Earnest".

Nearby Words: earnestness, earnestly

Mutual synonyms

Cite this Source
Earnest and Cruel. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 10, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/earnest
Cruel & Earnest. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/earnest>.
Earnest or Cruel. 2016. Accessed August 10, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/earnest.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cruel" and "earnest" have occurred on timeline