arbitrary vs cruel

arbitrary

adj
  • Determined by impulse rather than reason; heavy-handed. 

  • Not representative or symbolic; not iconic. 

  • Determined by independent arbiter. 

  • Based on individual discretion or judgment; not based on any objective distinction, perhaps even made at random. 

  • Any, out of all that are possible. 

noun
  • Anything arbitrary, such as an arithmetical value or a fee. 

cruel

adj
  • Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and suffering; merciless, heartless. 

  • Cool; awesome; neat. 

  • Harsh; severe. 

adv
  • To a great degree; terribly. 

verb
  • To violently provoke (a child) in the belief that this will make them more assertive. 

  • To spoil or ruin (one's chance of success) 

How often have the words arbitrary and cruel occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )