Cruel
Cruel adjective - Having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Usage example: the bully was fond of making cruel little jabs at his victim's sore points
Scathing and cruel are semantically related In some cases you can use "Scathing" instead an adjective "Cruel".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- However, when something happens to make him angry he can turn into a self-righteous hypocrite, attacking whoever is on hand with scathing and cruel insults, where he pushes any blame onto someone else.
Source: Series / State of Play -
Wilson regards Dennis as he makes his cruel, scathing remarks following the flower bloom scene.
Source: Film / Dennis the Menace
Cite this Source
Scathing and Cruel. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/scathing
Cruel & Scathing. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/scathing>.
Scathing or Cruel. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/scathing.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cruel" and "scathing" have occurred on timeline