English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Adjective edit

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.