残酷 (ざんこく): meaning and examples

Key takeaways

残酷 (ざんこく) means cruelty / harshness / brutality.

See example sentences below.

残酷 at a glance

残酷

ざんこくzankoku

N1adj

cruelty / harshness / brutality

残酷ざんこくzankokuN1Japanese vocabulary

Core meaning

cruelty / harshness / brutality

Example 1

その戦争は本当に残酷だった。

Translation

That war was truly cruel.

Example 2

残酷な現実に向き合うしかない。

Translation

We have no choice but to face the cruel reality.