being cruel to be kind

A form of be cruel to be kind — To act cruelly in order to achieve a positive outcome in the future.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of be cruel to be kind
Cite this entry
APA

being cruel to be kind. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/being%20cruel%20to%20be%20kind

MLA

“being cruel to be kind.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/being%20cruel%20to%20be%20kind. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “being cruel to be kind,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/being%20cruel%20to%20be%20kind.

Source: being cruel to be kind on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.