crūdēlis, e, adj. [cf. Gr. κρύος; Lat. crudus, cruor, caro], morally rude or unfeeling, with exclusive reference to conduct towards persons or things, hard, unmerciful, hard-hearted, cruel, severe, fierce (freq. and class. in prose and poetry).
I Of living subjects.
α With in and abl.: crudeles gaudent in tristi funere fratris, Lucr. 3, 72; cf.: crudelis in calamitate hominis consularis, Cic. de Or. 2, 48, 198: cui nimis videtur senatus in conservandā patriā fuisse crudelis, id. Pis. 8, 17.—
β With in and acc.: cum in eos, quos numquam viderat, tam crudelis fuisset, Cic. Phil. 5, 8, 22: in liberos atque in sanguinem suum, id. Fin. 1, 10, 34: in quos Sulla crudelis hoc socio fuisset, id. Att. 9, 14, 2: in patriam, id. Cat. 4, 6, 13; Liv. 2, 56, 7.—
γ Absol. : crudelem Castorem, ne dicam sceleratum et impium! Cic. Deiot. 1, 2: crudelis atque importuna mulier, id. Clu. 63, 177: malus atque crudelis, Sall. C. 16, 3: o crudelis adhuc, etc., Hor. C. 4, 10, 1: Neptunus tanto amori, Prop. 2 (3), 26, 45 et saep.— Comp. : ecquid acerbius? ecquid crudelius? Cic. Att. 9, 14, 2: magis timeo ne in eum exsistam crudelior, id. ib. 10, 11, 3: heu, Fortuna, quis est crudelior in nos Te deus? Hor. S. 2, 8, 61.— Sup. : parricidae, Sall. C. 52, 31.—
II Of inanimate subjects: crudele et exitiosum bellum, Cic. Att. 9, 6, 7: o rem cum auditu crudelem tum visu nefariam, id. Planc. 41, 99: poena in cives crudelis, id. Phil. 11, 1, 1: in tam crudelem necessitatem incidere, id. Tusc. 3, 25, 60: facinora (with foeda), Sall. C. 11, 4: crudele intolerandumque imperium (opp. justissimum atque optimum), id. ib. 10, 6: sententia, id. ib. 51, 17: consilia, Cat. 64, 175; cf. id. 64, 136: pestes, id. 69, 9; cf. id. 64, 76: venenum vitae nostrae, id. 77, 5: ferrum, Prop. 2 (3), 15, 43: verber, Ov. F. 2, 695: poena, id. M. 2, 612; Verg. A. 6, 585: egestas, Val. Fl. 4, 459 et saep.: quid faciat? crudele, suos addicere amores, Ov. M. 1, 617.— Comp. : ignis, Cat. 62, 20: janua, Prop. 1, 16, 17: mens, Ov. M. 11, 701: quid crudelius, quam? etc., Quint. 11, 1, 85. — Sup. : nomen tyranni, Nep. Dion, 1, 4: manus, Petr. 105: caedes, Suet. Calig. 30.— Hence, advv.
a crūdēlĕ (prop. neutr. sing. of adj.), cruelly , etc., Stat. Th. 3, 211; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 340; id. in Eutr. 2, 108. —
b crūdēlĭter , cruelly, in a cruel manner (very freq.), Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30; id. Off. 1, 24, 82; Caes. B. G. 7, 38; Nep. Paus. 3, 3; Quint. 1, 5, 9; Suet. Tib. 61 al.— Comp. , Liv. 31, 29, 11; Cat. 62, 24; Ov. M. 3, 442.— Sup. , Cic. Sull. 27, 75; id. Phil. 1, 14, 34; Caes. B. C. 1, 2 fin. ; Nep. Eum. 6, 3 et saep.