Cruel
Cruel adjective - Having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others.
Frightening and cruel are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Frightening" instead an adjective "Cruel".
Frightening
Frightening adjective - Causing fear.
Cruel and frightening are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Cruel" instead an adjective "Frightening".
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- odious and cruel
- odious and frightening
- painful and cruel
- painful and frightening
- monstrous and cruel
- monstrous and frightening
- unnatural and cruel
- unnatural and frightening
- abominable and cruel
- abominable and frightening
- terrible and cruel
- terrible and frightening
- atrocious and cruel
- atrocious and frightening
Both words in one sentence
- Paul soon learns that despite how frightening and cruel she normally can be, he should be truly terrified of her whenever she actually swears.
Source: Precision F Strike / Literature - To children in the audience, Scabior is frightening because he's feral-looking, gross, cruel, and hunting down the main trio.
Source: Adult Fear / Literature - Cruel and Unusual Death: Every execution appears to be more gory and/or more frightening than the original executions used in Dangan Ronpa.
Source: Roleplay / Astral Cabal
Cite this Source
Frightening and Cruel. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/frightening
Cruel & Frightening. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/frightening>.
Frightening or Cruel. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/frightening.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cruel" and "frightening" have occurred on timeline