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Cruel vs Arch - What's the difference?

cruel | arch |

As adjectives the difference between cruel and arch

is that cruel is not nice; mean; heartless while arch is (senseid) knowing, clever, mischievous.

As verbs the difference between cruel and arch

is that cruel is to spoil or ruin (one's chance of success) while arch is to form into an arch shape.

As a noun arch is

(senseid)an inverted u shape or arch can be (obsolete) a chief.

cruel

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Not nice; mean; heartless.
    • The supervisor was very cruel to Josh, as he would always give Josh the hardest, most degrading work he could find.
  • (slang) Cool; awesome; neat.

    • Synonyms

    * brutal * sadistic * vicious

    Antonyms

    * merciful

    Derived terms

    * cruelly

    Related terms

    * crude * crudeness * cruelty

    Verb

  • To spoil or ruin (one's chance of success)

    • External links

    * *

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    arch

    English

    (wikipedia arch) (commons)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (es)
  • (senseid)An inverted U shape.
  • An arch-shaped arrangement of trapezoidal stones, designed to redistribute downward force outward.
  • (senseid)(architecture) An architectural element having the shape of an arch
  • Any place covered by an arch; an archway.
    • to pass into the arch of a bridge
  • (archaic, geometry) An arc; a part of a curve.
    • References
    *

    Verb

  • To form into an arch shape
    • The cat arched its back
  • To cover with an arch or arches.

    • Related terms

    * arc

    Etymology 2

    From the prefix . "Principal" is the original sense; "mischievous" is via onetime frequent collocation with rogue, knave, etc.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (senseid) Knowing, clever, mischievous.
    • I attempted to hide my emotions, but an arch remark escaped my lips.
  • * Tatler
    • [He] spoke his request with so arch a leer.
  • * 1906 , O. Henry,
    • A certain melancholy that touched her countenance must have been of recent birth, for it had not yet altered the fine and youthful contours of her cheek, nor subdued the arch though resolute curve of her lips.
  • *
    • Lassiter ended there with dry humor, yet behind that was meaning. Jane blushed and made arch eyes at him.
  • Principal; primary.
  • * Shakespeare
    • the most arch act of piteous massacre
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Noun

    (es)
  • (obsolete) A chief.
  • * Shakespeare
    • My worthy arch and patron comes to-night.

    External links

    * * *

    Anagrams

    * ----