cruel

draconian

drəˈkəʊnɪən

adjective

(of laws or their application) excessively harsh and severe.

the Nazis destroyed the independence of the press by a series of draconian laws

harsh,severe,strict,extreme,drastic,stringent,tough,swingeing,cruel,brutal,oppressive,ruthless,relentless,summary,punitive,authoritarian,despotic,tyrannical,arbitrary,repressive,iron-fisted,suppressive

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devilish

ˈdɛv(ə)lɪʃ

adjective

like or appropriate to a devil in evil and cruelty.

devilish tortures

wicked,evil,accursed,sinful,iniquitous,nefarious,vile,foul,abominable,unspeakable,loathsome,monstrous,atrocious,heinous,hideous,odious,horrible,horrifying,shocking,appalling,dreadful,awful,terrible,ghastly,abhorrent,despicable,damnable,villainous,shameful,depraved,perverted,ungodly,dark,black,black-hearted,immoral,amoral,vicious,cruel,savage,brutish,bestial,barbaric,barbarous,cacodemonic,egregious,flagitious,facinorous

adverb

very; extremely.

a devilish clever chap

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destroys

dɪˈstrɔɪ

verb

end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

the room had been destroyed by fire

demolish,knock down,pull down,tear down,level,raze (to the ground),fell,dismantle,break up,wreck,ruin,smash,shatter,crash,blast,blow up,blow to bits/pieces,dynamite,explode,bomb,torpedo,spoil,disfigure,blight,mar,blemish,impair,flaw,deface,scar,injure,harm,devastate,damage,lay waste,ravage,wreak havoc on,waste,disfeature,disrupt,undo,upset,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,terminate,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,scotch,vitiate,sabotage,upset someone’s apple cart,cook someone’s goose,mess up,muck up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,do for,scupper,dish,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,muller,euchre,cruel,bring to naught,fuck up,bugger up,balls up

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destroying

dɪˈstrɔɪ

verb

end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

the room had been destroyed by fire

demolish,knock down,pull down,tear down,level,raze (to the ground),fell,dismantle,break up,wreck,ruin,smash,shatter,crash,blast,blow up,blow to bits/pieces,dynamite,explode,bomb,torpedo,spoil,disfigure,blight,mar,blemish,impair,flaw,deface,scar,injure,harm,devastate,damage,lay waste,ravage,wreak havoc on,waste,disfeature,disrupt,undo,upset,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,terminate,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,scotch,vitiate,sabotage,upset someone’s apple cart,cook someone’s goose,mess up,muck up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,do for,scupper,dish,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,muller,euchre,cruel,bring to naught,fuck up,bugger up,balls up

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destroyed

dɪˈstrɔɪ

verb

end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

the room had been destroyed by fire

demolish,knock down,pull down,tear down,level,raze (to the ground),fell,dismantle,break up,wreck,ruin,smash,shatter,crash,blast,blow up,blow to bits/pieces,dynamite,explode,bomb,torpedo,spoil,disfigure,blight,mar,blemish,impair,flaw,deface,scar,injure,harm,devastate,damage,lay waste,ravage,wreak havoc on,waste,disfeature,disrupt,undo,upset,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,terminate,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,scotch,vitiate,sabotage,upset someone’s apple cart,cook someone’s goose,mess up,muck up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,do for,scupper,dish,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,muller,euchre,cruel,bring to naught,fuck up,bugger up,balls up

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destroy

dɪˈstrɔɪ

verb

end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

the room had been destroyed by fire

demolish,knock down,pull down,tear down,level,raze (to the ground),fell,dismantle,break up,wreck,ruin,smash,shatter,crash,blast,blow up,blow to bits/pieces,dynamite,explode,bomb,torpedo,spoil,disfigure,blight,mar,blemish,impair,flaw,deface,scar,injure,harm,devastate,damage,lay waste,ravage,wreak havoc on,waste,disfeature,disrupt,undo,upset,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,terminate,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,scotch,vitiate,sabotage,upset someone’s apple cart,cook someone’s goose,mess up,muck up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,do for,scupper,dish,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,muller,euchre,cruel,bring to naught,fuck up,bugger up,balls up

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dastardly

ˈdastədli
ˈdɑːstədli

adjective

wicked and cruel.

pirates and their dastardly deeds

wicked,evil,iniquitous,heinous,villainous,diabolical,diabolic,fiendish,vicious,murderous,barbarous,cruel,black,dark,rotten,nefarious,vile,foul,monstrous,shocking,outrageous,atrocious,abominable,reprehensible,despicable,execrable,corrupt,degenerate,reprobate,sordid,depraved,dissolute,bad,base,mean,low,dishonourable,dishonest,unscrupulous,unprincipled,underhand,roguish,crooked,low-down,stinking,dirty,shady,rascally,scoundrelly,beastly,not cricket,malfeasant,egregious,flagitious

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catty

ˈkati

adjective

deliberately hurtful in one’s remarks; spiteful.

catty comments

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,bitchy,malefic,maleficent

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cattiest

ˈkati

adjective

deliberately hurtful in one’s remarks; spiteful.

catty comments

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,bitchy,malefic,maleficent

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cattier

ˈkati

adjective

deliberately hurtful in one’s remarks; spiteful.

catty comments

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,bitchy,malefic,maleficent

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callous

ˈkaləs

adjective

showing or having an insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

his callous comments about the murder made me shiver

heartless,unfeeling,uncaring,cold,cold-hearted,hard,as hard as nails,hard-hearted,with a heart of stone,stony-hearted,insensitive,lacking compassion,hard-bitten,cold-blooded,hardened,case-hardened,harsh,cruel,ruthless,brutal,unsympathetic,uncharitable,indifferent,unconcerned,unsusceptible,insensible,bloodless,soulless,hard-boiled,indurate,indurated,marble-hearted

noun

variant spelling of callus.

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brutal

ˈbruːt(ə)l

adjective

savagely violent.

a brutal murder

savage,cruel,bloodthirsty,vicious,ferocious,barbaric,barbarous,wicked,murderous,cold-blooded,hard-hearted,harsh,ruthless,callous,heartless,merciless,pitiless,remorseless,sadistic,unfeeling,inhuman,heinous,monstrous,abominable,atrocious,vile,infernal,uncivilized,bestial,brutish,beastly,animal

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blighting

blʌɪt

verb

have a severely detrimental effect on.

the scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

ruin,wreck,spoil,disrupt,undo,mar,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,destroy,scotch,shatter,devastate,demolish,sabotage,mess up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,scupper,dish,euchre,cruel,bring to naught

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blighted

blʌɪt

verb

have a severely detrimental effect on.

the scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

ruin,wreck,spoil,disrupt,undo,mar,play havoc with,make a mess of,put an end to,end,bring to an end,put a stop to,prevent,frustrate,crush,quell,quash,dash,destroy,scotch,shatter,devastate,demolish,sabotage,mess up,screw up,louse up,foul up,make a hash of,do in,put paid to,put the lid on,put the kibosh on,stymie,queer,nix,banjax,blow a hole in,scupper,dish,euchre,cruel,bring to naught

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bitchy

ˈbɪtʃi

adjective

malicious or spitefully critical.

bitchy remarks

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,catty,malefic,maleficent,squint-eyed

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bitchiest

ˈbɪtʃi

adjective

malicious or spitefully critical.

bitchy remarks

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,catty,malefic,maleficent,squint-eyed

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bitchier

ˈbɪtʃi

adjective

malicious or spitefully critical.

bitchy remarks

spiteful,malicious,mean,nasty,cruel,unkind,snide,backbiting,hurtful,wounding,barbed,cutting,hateful,ill-natured,bitter,venomous,vitriolic,poisonous,acid,hostile,rancorous,vindictive,vicious,defamatory,slanderous,catty,malefic,maleficent,squint-eyed

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barbarous

/ˈbɑrbərəs/

adjective

Savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal.

many early child-rearing practices were barbarous by modern standards

cruel,brutal,barbaric,brutish,bestial,savage,vicious,fierce,ferocious,wicked,nasty,ruthless,remorseless,merciless,villainous,murderous,heinous,nefarious,monstrous,base,low,low-down,vile,inhuman,infernal,dark,black,black-hearted,fiendish,hellish,diabolical,ghastly,horrible

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barbaric

/bɑrˈbɛrɪk/

adjective

Savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal.

he had carried out barbaric acts in the name of war

cruel,brutal,barbarous,brutish,bestial,savage,vicious,fierce,ferocious,wicked,nasty,ruthless,remorseless,merciless,villainous,murderous,heinous,nefarious,monstrous,base,low,low-down,vile,inhuman,infernal,dark,black,black-hearted,fiendish,hellish,diabolical,ghastly,horrible

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atrocious

/əˈtroʊʃəs/

adjective

Horrifyingly wicked.

atrocious cruelties

brutal,barbaric,barbarous,brutish,savage,vicious,wicked,cruel,nasty,ruthless,merciless,villainous,murderous,heinous,nefarious,monstrous,base,low,low-down,vile,inhuman,infernal,dark,black,black-hearted,fiendish,hellish,diabolical,ghastly,horrible

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acerbic

/əˈsərbɪk/

adjective

(especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright.

his acerbic wit

sharp,sarcastic,sardonic,satirical,scathing,cutting,razor-edged,incisive,penetrating,piercing,biting,stinging,searing,keen,caustic,trenchant,bitter,acrimonious,astringent,harsh,severe,devastating,abrasive,wounding,hurtful,unkind,cruel,vitriolic,virulent,mordant,venomous,waspish,poisonous,spiteful,vicious,malicious

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