List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 94

SYNONYMS: cruel, fierce, ferocious, barbarous, inhuman, savage, vicious.
These adjectives mean showing a disposition to inflict violence, pain, or hardship, or to find satisfaction in the suffering of others.

Cruel implies both disposition to harm and satisfaction in or indifference to suffering: a cruel tyrant.
Fierce suggests the fearless aggression of a wild animal: a fierce attack; fierce anger.
Ferocious adds to fierce connotations of rabid fury and rampant brutality: a ferocious attack dog; a ferocious battle for supremacy.
Barbarous suggests harshness and cruelty that befit only primitive human beings: committed a barbarous crime.
Inhuman means markedly deficient in those qualities such as kindness and sympathy that are proper to a human being: cruel and inhuman behavior.
Savage implies a lack of the control or moderation expected of a civilized person: a savage outburst of temper; a savage slap.
Vicious suggests a disposition to malicious, violent, or destructive behavior: vicious animosity; a vicious anonymous letter; a vicious kick.