Cruellest

/ˈkruːəlɪst/ adjective

Definition

British spelling of the superlative form of 'cruel'; the most cruel or showing the greatest cruelty.

Etymology

British variant superlative of 'cruel' with doubled 'l' and '-est' suffix, following the same consonant-doubling rule that produced 'crueller'.

Kelly Says

Interestingly, superlatives are older than comparatives in English—people were saying 'cruelest' before 'crueler,' which shows how extremes impressed people more than gradations.

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