Cruel
Cruel adjective - Having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others.
Gratuitous and cruel are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Gratuitous" instead an adjective "Cruel".
Gratuitous
Gratuitous adjective - Not costing or charging anything.
Cruel and gratuitous are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Cruel" instead an adjective "Gratuitous".
Nearby Words: gratuity, gratuitously
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Beautiful aversion: Jack Links Jerky's "Messin' with Sasquatch" ads, wherein a bunch of douchebags play cruel and gratuitous pranks on the sasquatch.
Source: Cereal Vice Reward -
What separates this trope from a character's other evil or cruel acts is that this bit of evil is gratuitous.
Source: Kick the Dog
Cite this Source
Gratuitous and Cruel. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/gratuitous
Cruel & Gratuitous. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/gratuitous>.
Gratuitous or Cruel. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/gratuitous.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cruel" and "gratuitous" have occurred on timeline