The adjectives capricious and cruel are used to describe the nature of people, concepts, objects, and phenomena, but they have very different meanings and applications. Capricious refers to the impulsive or unpredictable nature of a person, while cruel refers to the evil or wicked nature of a person.
Key Takeaways
- Capricious is defined as “given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior” and is used to describe a person who is impulsive and unpredictable.
- Cruel is defined as “wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it” and describes someone who enjoys causing pain, harm, and suffering to others.
- A capricious person is not necessarily wicked or evil, while a cruel person is evil and wicked.
What Does Capricious Mean?
Capricious refers to the unpredictability of a person. The Oxford dictionary defines capricious as “given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior” and Merriam-Webster defines it as “governed or characterized by caprice”. A capricious person is one who is impulsive and unpredictable. He or she would make sudden decisions, sometimes even without a cause or motive. Capricious can also be used to describe the unpredictable nature of weather.
What Does Cruel Mean?
Cruel is an adjective that refers to the disposition to cause pain and suffering. Cruel is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “Wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it”, and in the American Heritage dictionary as “disposed to inflict pain or suffering”. A cruel person is a person who likes to inflict pain and suffering on others; we can also describe a cruel person as a person devoid of human feelings. Cruel can be also used to describe an object or concept that would cause harm, pain, or grief to others. For example, a cruel joke is a joke that brings pain and grief to someone.
What is the difference between Capricious and Cruel?
Definition:
Capricious: Capricious is defined as “given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior”.
Cruel: Cruel is defined as “Wilfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it”.
Usage:
Capricious: This adjective can be used to describe a person who is impulsive and unpredictable.
Cruel: This adjective can be used to describe someone who enjoys causing pain, harm, and suffering to others.
Type of Person:
Capricious: A capricious person is not necessarily wicked or evil.
Cruel: A cruel person is evil and wicked.
