overcruel

English

Alternative forms

• over-cruel

Etymology

From Middle English overcruel, equivalent to over- +‎ cruel.

Adjective

overcruel (comparative more overcruel, superlative most overcruel)

1. overly or excessively cruel
   • 1863, Edward Howard, The Old Commodore:

     “But it is thou, oh, my brother who hast done this—this overcruel thing. Who now shall fill up the void in the chivalry of the country? […] ”

   • 1872, Beunans Meriasek, Whitley Stokes, The Life of Saint Meriasek:

     Ah, I have been overcruel
     To Christians, I believe.

   • 1915, William John Locke, Jaffery:

     The very virtue that had made her overcruel to him in the past would have made her overkind to him in the future.

   • 2013, Kate Bernheimer, xo Orpheus:

     […] when he died last year, the final straw, as my husband said, ever cruel, overcruel, my mother was the one who cleaned out his home at his behest and when I asked her about the computer and what was on it, trying not to suggest I knew his secret or that he even […]

   • 2013, William Albert Robinson, Deep Water and Shoal:

     The elder Cobos became over-cruel in his handling of the miserable horde, and several very unpleasant occurrences led to tragedy.