abuse, ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment - cruel or inhumane treatment

impalement - the act of piercing with a sharpened stake as a form of punishment or torture

atrocity, inhumanity - an act of atrocious cruelty

coldheartedness, hardheartedness, heartlessness - an absence of concern for the welfare of others

brutality, ferociousness, savageness, savagery, viciousness - the trait of extreme cruelty

bloodthirstiness, murderousness - cruelty evidence by a capability to commit murder

malevolency, malice, malevolence - the quality of threatening evil