Cruel
Cruel adjective - Having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others.
Terrifying and cruel are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Terrifying" instead an adjective "Cruel".
Terrifying
Terrifying adjective - Causing fear.
Cruel and terrifying are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Cruel" instead an adjective "Terrifying".
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
- Her reign was so cruel and terrifying that the people never even dare to speak her name.
Source: Literature / The Dark Sea Annals -
Mengele for cruel and terrifying experiments which were obscenely deadly For Science!!
Source: Bedlam House -
Kidulthood has Uncle Curtis, a cruel and terrifying Jamaican crime boss.
Source: Scary Black Man
Cite this Source
Terrifying and Cruel. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 08, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/terrifying
Cruel & Terrifying. N.p., 2016. Web. 08 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/terrifying>.
Terrifying or Cruel. 2016. Accessed August 08, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/cruel/terrifying.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "cruel" and "terrifying" have occurred on timeline