I.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.