1. behavior that causes pain or suffering to others
殘忍的行為；殘酷
The cruelty of the dictator shocked the world.
這位獨裁者的殘忍行徑震驚了世界。
There is no excuse for cruelty to animals.
虐待動物沒有任何藉口。
Cruelty Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
cruelty
noun
快速理解
What does "Cruelty" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Cruelty"?
Cruelty 指故意造成他人或動物痛苦的行為或態度。
- 1
殘忍行為
EN: behavior that causes pain or suffering to others
翻譯: 對他人造成痛苦或折磨的行為
- 2
殘酷性質
EN: the quality of being cruel and showing no mercy
翻譯: 殘酷且毫無憐憫之心的特質
- 3
殘酷事例
EN: a cruel action or treatment
翻譯: 一個殘酷的行動或對待方式
- 4
法律用語
EN: cruel treatment, especially as grounds for divorce
翻譯: 殘酷對待（尤指可作為離婚理由的虐待行為）
小提醒：注意 cruelty 是不可數名詞，指『殘忍』的性質或行為總稱；若要指具體的『殘酷行為』，常用 an act of cruelty 或複數形式 cruelties。
發音（How to Pronounce "Cruelty" in English）
How to pronounce "Cruelty" in English?"Cruelty" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Cruelty" from YouTube Videos
Shirin Neshat: Art in exile
TED
“So I made a group of work that at once faced my own personal questions in life, and yet it brought my work into a larger discourse -- the subject of martyrdom, the question of those who willingly stand in that intersection of love, of God, faith, but violence and crime and cruelty.”
(1 out of 6)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Cruelty"?How does "Cruelty" change by context?
2. a cruel action or remark
殘酷的行為或言論
She never forgot the petty cruelties of her classmates.
她從未忘記同學們那些瑣碎的殘酷言行。
His comment was an act of thoughtless cruelty.
他的評論是一種不經思考的殘酷行為。
3. the quality of being cruel
殘忍的特性
The story explores the depths of human cruelty.
這個故事探討了人性殘忍的深處。
His cruelty knew no bounds.
他的殘忍毫無底線。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Cruelty"?How to make natural sentences with "Cruelty"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cruelty + to + noun | 對…的殘酷行為 | The cruelty to animals is unacceptable. (對動物的殘酷行為是不可接受的。) |
| cruelty + of + noun | …的殘酷性 | The cruelty of the regime shocked the world. (該政權的殘酷性震驚了世界。) |
| with + cruelty | 以殘酷的方式 | The prisoners were treated with great cruelty. (囚犯們受到了極其殘酷的對待。) |
| act of cruelty | 殘酷的行為 | That was an unforgivable act of cruelty. (那是一項不可原諒的殘酷行為。) |
| show + cruelty | 表現出殘酷 | He showed no cruelty, only kindness. (他沒有表現出任何殘酷，只有仁慈。) |
用法說明
How is "Cruelty" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Cruelty"?
cruelty to + noun vs. cruelty of + noun
- cruelty to + noun 通常用於指對特定對象（如人、動物）施加的殘忍行為，強調行為的承受者。
- cruelty of + noun 則用於描述某個行為、事件或情況本身所具有的殘忍性質，或強調施暴者的殘酷本質。
- 在描述對待動物或弱勢群體時，cruelty to 是更常見且直接的搭配。
- 當要強調一個行為或決定是多麼冷酷無情時，常用 cruelty of 來引出該行為。 EN: The law aims to prevent cruelty to animals. 翻譯: 這項法律旨在防止虐待動物。
EN:We were shocked by the cruelty of his decision.
翻譯:我們對他決定的殘酷性感到震驚。
EN:She reported a case of cruelty to a child.
翻譯:她舉報了一起虐待兒童的案件。
EN:The cruelty of the punishment was excessive.
翻譯:這種懲罰的殘酷程度過分了。
總結建議
一般來說，對待特定對象用「cruelty to」，描述行為或本質的殘忍特性則用「cruelty of」。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Cruelty" and similar words?How to choose "Cruelty" vs alternatives?
cruelty vs brutality
「cruelty」強調造成痛苦或苦難的意圖或性質，範圍較廣，可指行為、態度或制度。而「brutality」則更強調極端、野蠻的暴力行為，常與身體上的殘暴攻擊相關。
cruelty vs sadism
「cruelty」泛指殘忍的行為或性質，動機可能多樣（如懲罰、忽視、利益）。而「sadism」特指從他人的痛苦中獲得快樂或性滿足的心理異常，是 cruelty 的一種極端且特定的形式。
cruelty vs ruthlessness
「cruelty」核心在於造成不必要的痛苦，帶有道德譴責意味。而「ruthlessness」強調為達目的不擇手段、毫無憐憫，但不一定以製造痛苦為目的，更多是冷酷無情、堅決果斷。
口語用法
How is "Cruelty" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Cruelty"?
引述
在對話中，人們有時會引述他人對某事的評論或指控，使用「cruelty」來描述行為。 EN: She was shocked by the reports of animal cruelty at the facility. 翻譯: 她對該機構虐待動物的報導感到震驚。
EN:He kept talking about the cruelty he witnessed, and it was hard to listen to.
翻譯:他不停講述他目睹的殘忍行為，讓人聽了很難受。
語氣強調
說話者可能加重「cruelty」的語氣，以表達強烈的譴責、震驚或尋求認同。 EN: That level of cruelty is just unforgivable. 翻譯: 那種程度的殘酷簡直不可原諒。
EN:It's not just mean; it's outright cruelty.
翻譯:這不只是刻薄，這是徹頭徹尾的殘忍。
停頓填充
在組織思緒或表達強烈情緒時，可能會在「cruelty」前後稍有停頓，或使用填充詞。 EN: The... cruelty of the situation left me speechless. 翻譯: 這情況的…殘酷讓我無言以對。
EN:I mean, it's just, the sheer cruelty of it all, you know?
翻譯:我的意思是，這根本就是，純粹的殘忍，你懂嗎？
請注意：在正式寫作（如學術論文、官方報告）中，應避免使用上述口語中的停頓、填充詞或過於情緒化的強調結構。建議使用更精確、客觀的表述，例如「systematic cruelty」、「acts of cruelty」或「the prevalence of cruelty」。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Cruelty"?What fixed phrases with "Cruelty" should I remember?
act of cruelty
noun phrase
殘忍的行為
cruelty to animals
noun phrase
虐待動物
mental cruelty
noun phrase
精神虐待
the cruelty of fate
noun phrase
命運的殘酷
free from cruelty
adjective phrase
無殘忍行為的；零殘忍的
sheer cruelty
noun phrase
純粹的殘忍
campaign against cruelty
noun phrase
反對殘忍行為的運動
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Cruelty"?Which "Cruelty" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He is a cruelty person.
✓He is a cruel person.
「cruelty」是名詞，表示殘忍的行為或性質。形容人本身殘忍，應使用形容詞「cruel」。
×The government should stop all the cruelties.
✓The government should stop all cruelty.
「cruelty」作為抽象名詞，通常用作不可數名詞，指殘忍的性質或概念。在指具體的殘忍行為時，有時可用複數，但更常見且自然的用法是將其視為不可數名詞。
×She showed cruelty to her.
✓She showed cruelty toward her.
表達「對...表現出殘忍」時，常用介系詞「toward(s)」、「to」或「against」。雖然「to」有時可用，但「toward(s)」或「against」在語意上更精確，強調針對性的行為。
×He crueltied the small dog.
✓He was cruel to the small dog. / He treated the small dog with cruelty.
「cruelty」是名詞，沒有動詞形式。不能將其當作動詞使用。應使用形容詞「cruel」搭配適當動詞，或使用「treat with cruelty」等片語。
×He acted with a cruelty.
✓He acted with cruelty.
「cruelty」作為抽象名詞，表示殘忍的性質或概念時，通常不加不定冠詞「a」。只有在指「一種殘忍行為」的特定情況下，才可能用「an act of cruelty」。
×The cruelty of the situation was overwhelming.
✓The cruelty of the act was overwhelming. / The harshness (or difficulty) of the situation was overwhelming.
「cruelty」通常指人或行為的「殘忍、殘酷」。描述「情況」的嚴酷、艱難，應用「harshness」、「severity」或「difficulty」。避免將「cruelty」誤用於非人為的、客觀的艱難情境。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Cruelty"?What are tense/participle forms of "Cruelty"?