What does 残酷 mean?
残酷 is a Japanese noun meaning “cruelty, harshness” in English. It is written as 残酷 in kanji, ざんこく in hiragana, and zankoku in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N1 vocabulary.
Example sentence
怪物は残酷な微笑みを浮かべた。
The monster's smile was cruel.