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cruellement

cruelly

adverb krü-el-MAHN Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Manner

Usage Note

Cruellement can describe both literal cruelty (traiter cruellement) and a painful absence or lack, as in manquer cruellement de ressources ('to be sorely lacking in resources'). This second use — meaning 'sorely' or 'badly' — is common in formal writing and easy to misread. The root adjective is cruel (m) / cruelle (f).

Examples

"Elle a été cruellement déçue par le résultat."

Natural Translation

She was cruelly disappointed by the result.

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