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Spell Bee Word: Cruel


What does cruel mean?

Word: Cruel

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: Cruel means hurting people or animals on purpose, or not caring when they are hurt.

Synonyms: unkind

Antonyms: gentle

How do you spell cruel?

Syllables: cru - el

Tricky part: In cruel the u comes before the e: cru-el. Children often swap them and write crule.

Watch out for: crule, cruul

Memory tip: Cruel ends the same way as fuel: a u, then e and l.

Cruel in a sentence

Example 1: It is cruel to pull a dog's tail.

Example 2: The cruel giant would not share his garden.

Example 3: Be gentle with animals and never be cruel to them.

Fun Fact

Cruel comes from the Latin word crudelis, which is linked to crudus, meaning raw. The word crude comes from the same root.

Practise the CREST Way

Word Connection

Choose the antonym of the word:

cruel

a) rude
b) mean
c) harsh
d) kind

Show answer

d) kind. Kind is the opposite of cruel; mean and harsh are like cruel.

Spell-o-Spell

Choose the incorrectly spelt word:

a) cruell
b) greedy
c) selfish
d) angry

Show answer

a) cruell. Cruel ends with just one l.

Word Cookie

Find the misspelt word in the sentence:

The kruel king took away the toys.

a) king
b) kruel
c) toys
d) away

Show answer

b) kruel. Cruel begins with c, even though king begins with k.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which action is cruel?

a) feeding a cat
b) sharing lunch
c) kicking a puppy
d) helping a friend

Show answer

c) kicking a puppy

2. How might a cruel act make someone feel?

a) sleepy and calm
b) happy and proud
c) hungry and tired
d) sad and hurt

Show answer

d) sad and hurt

Associated Words

Related words on the Spell Bee lists: gentle

More words from this list

firefighter, hook, mule, quiz, smooth, trunk, arm, build

Next steps

How to participate in CREST International Spell Bee

The CREST International Spell Bee (CSB) is conducted in two editions – CREST International Spell Bee - Summer (CSB) and CREST International Spell Bee - Winter (CSBW) – giving students across the globe an opportunity to showcase and enhance their spelling proficiency. Designed for young learners from Senior KG to Class 8, the competition focuses on word-building, pronunciation, and vocabulary enrichment, helping students develop strong linguistic skills.

Steps to Participate:

Step 1: Visit the registration page and complete the registration with your desired subject.

Step 2: After Registration done, do login at www.crestolympiads.com/login.

Step 3: After login, go to dashboard and click on Book slot/Take Exam

Step 4: Schedule your exam date and preferred time.

Step 5: Log in with your credentials on the exam day at the scheduled time and take the exam.

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