残忍・惨忍|ざんにんzannin[0]heiban (flat)

1. na-adjective, nounbrutal; cruel; merciless; ruthless; cold-blooded
   かつて残忍ざんにんな王様おうさまがいた。↗

   Once upon a time, there lived a cruel king.

• Synonym残酷ざんこくNeutralNeutral, with the broadest range of uses; also said of fate and reality. 「残忍」 applies to people's acts and character, stressing cold-blooded ruthlessness.
• Synonym凶悪きょうあくWrittenWritten: heinous, said mostly of criminals and crimes, as in 「凶悪犯」; stresses how grave the offense is.
• SynonymひどいCasualThe same word as 「惨い」 above; written 「酷い」 it is still read むごい. Read ひどい, it means simply severe or awful, a far broader sense.
• Synonym無情むじょうNeutralNeutral: cold and heartless, as in 「無情の雨」; falls short of 「残忍」 in degree.
• Synonym残虐ざんぎゃくWrittenWritten: savage, murderous cruelty, as in 「残虐な行為」; fiercer than 「残忍」.
• Synonym無残むざんNeutralNeutral: ghastly to behold, mostly of wretched scenes, as in 「見るも無残」.
• Synonym暴虐ぼうぎゃくWrittenWritten: tyrannical cruelty, said mostly of tyrants and despotic rule.
• Synonym冷酷れいこくNeutralNeutral: cold-hearted, stressing an absence of warmth; 「残忍」 stresses the brutality of one's methods.
• Synonym無慈悲むじひWrittenWritten: utterly without mercy or pity, as in 「無慈悲な仕打ち」; 「残忍」 stresses the ferocity of the means used.
• SynonymむごいCasualColloquial native word for cruelty too dreadful to watch. 「残忍」 is more written in flavor and stresses being able to act ruthlessly without a flicker of feeling.
• Synonym冷酷無残れいこくむざんWrittenWritten four-character compound: cold-hearted and merciless; carries strong emphasis.
• Synonym非人道的ひじんどうてきWrittenWritten: inhumane, violating basic humanity, as in 「非人道的な扱い」; leans formal.
• Synonym苛虐かぎゃくWrittenWritten: cruel abuse or maltreatment; rarely used.
• Synonym冷酷無情れいこくむじょうWrittenWritten four-character compound: cold-hearted and merciless; close in sense to 「冷酷無残」.
• Related過酷かこくWrittenWritten: describes harsh conditions, as in 「過酷な労働」; not necessarily born of malice.
• Related凶暴きょうぼうNeutralNeutral: ferocious, said mostly of people and animals, as in 「凶暴な犬」; stresses violence.
• Related極悪ごくあくWrittenWritten: utterly wicked, beyond the pale, as in 「極悪非道」.
• Related血なまぐさいちなまぐさいNeutralNeutral: steeped in blood and violence, as in 「血なまぐさい事件」; the emphasis is on scenes of bloodshed.
• Related不人情ふにんじょうNeutralNeutral: heartless and cold, lacking human feeling; milder than 「残忍」, which is far more vicious.
• Related手ひどいてひどいNeutralNeutral: describes blows or criticism that hit hard, as in 「手ひどい失敗」.
• RelatedつれないNeutralNeutral: a cold, unresponsive attitude; often said of romantic situations; very mild.
• RelatedいけずCasualColloquial Kansai dialect: mean and deliberately nasty; light in tone, far removed from 「残忍」 in degree.
• Antonym慈愛じあいWrittenAntonym, written: tender, loving affection; the opposite of the cold-heartedness of 「残忍」.
• Antonym寛大かんだいNeutralAntonym: generous and tolerant; stands opposite 「残忍」.
• Antonym慈悲じひNeutralAntonym: mercy and compassion; the opposite of the utter lack of pity in 「残忍」.
• Antonym優しさNeutralAntonym: kindness and warmth; the direct opposite of 「残忍」 and the most common choice.

For general cruelty, 「残酷」 and 「むごい」 are the everyday choices. Use 「残忍」 when someone treats people or animals ruthlessly and without any pity, as in 「残忍な犯行」. For savage atrocity pick 「残虐」; for heinous crimes 「凶悪」; for harsh conditions 「過酷」. The opposite quality is 「優しさ」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 無慈悲むじひなことを平気へいきでするさま。