cruelnesse
Middle English
Alternative forms
- cruelnes, crwelnes, crewelnesse, cruellenes, crewelnes, crowelnes
Etymology
From cruel + -nesse.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkriu̯ɛlnɛs/, /ˈkriu̯əlnɛs/, /kriu̯ˈɛːlnɛs/
Noun
cruelnesse (uncountable)
- The state of being cruel; cruelness, ruthlessness.
- Viciousness, ferociousness; the state of being fierce.
- (rare) Strictness, unforgivingness.
- (rare) Injuriousness, dangerousness.
Descendants
- English: cruelness
- Scots: cruelness (obsolete)
References
- “crūē̆lnesse (n.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-09-12.