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Cruel vs Indifferent - What's the difference?

cruel | indifferent | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between cruel and indifferent

is that cruel is not nice; mean; heartless while indifferent is not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic.

As a verb cruel

is to spoil or ruin (one's chance of success.

As an adverb indifferent is

to some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very and not at all); moderately, tolerably, fairly.

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

    * * ----

    indifferent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Not caring or concerned; uninterested, apathetic.
    • He was indifferent to the proposal, since it didn't affect him, either way.
  • Mediocre, usually used negatively in modern usage.
    • The long distance and the indifferent roads made the journey impossible.
    The performance of Blue Jays has been '''indifferent'' this season.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • The staterooms are in indifferent order.
  • Having no preference or bias, being impartial.
    • ''I am indifferent between the two plans.
  • * Addison
    • indifferent in his choice to sleep or die
  • Not making a difference; without significance or importance.
    • Even if one appliance consumes an indifferent amount of energy when left on stand-by overnight, together they can represent 10% of the electricity demand of a household.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Dangers are to me indifferent .
  • * Jeremy Taylor
    • Everything in the world is indifferent but sin.
  • * Nathaniel Hawthorne
    • His slightest and most indifferent acts were odious in the clergyman's sight.
  • (mechanics) Being in the state of neutral equilibrium.

    • Quotations

    * , act 4, scene 1: *: Let their heads be sleekly combed their blue coats brushed and their garters of an indifferent knit

    Adverb

  • (obsolete) To some extent, in some degree (intermediate between very'' and ''not at all ); moderately, tolerably, fairly.
    • The face of the Moon appearing to me to be full of indifferent high mountains...

    Usage notes

    * Now obsolete, but very common c. 1600-1730.

    References

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