adjectiveadverb

grausam

cruel

So ist jemand oder etwas, wenn anderen absichtlich großes Leid oder Schmerzen zugefügt werden, ohne Mitleid zu zeigen.

Definition & meaning

The adjective grausam describes someone or something that acts or exists in a way that causes pain, suffering, or distress to others. It is commonly used to describe:

Cruel or sadistic behavior: A person who intentionally inflicts suffering on living beings (e.g., "a cruel dictator").
Harsh or painful circumstances: A situation or event that is extremely unpleasant or hard to endure (e.g., "a cruel fate" or "bitter cold").
Severe or extreme: In informal language, it can be used to describe something that is exceptionally bad or intense.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

grausam is an adjective that can be used attributively (e.g., ein grausamer Mensch) or predicatively (e.g., Das ist grausam).
It can be intensified with sehr (very) or überaus (extremely).

Word origin:

The word is derived from the Middle High German grūsam, stemming from the verb grausen (to shudder, to fear). It is etymologically related to the word Grauen (horror/dread). The suffix -sam denotes a quality or tendency, meaning something that is "capable of causing dread."