inhumanity; atrocity; abominable cruelty
Strong literary or formal term for extreme cruelty and inhumanity, often used in descriptions of war crimes, brutal acts, or severe moral condemnation.
The dictator's atrocious acts are etched in history.
戦争の残酷非道さを伝える記録が展示されている。
Records conveying the inhumanity of war are on display.
残酷 is the common word for 'cruelty' or 'cruel'; 残酷非道 is a stronger, more formal yojijukugo emphasizing extreme inhumanity and atrocity.
非道 means 'inhumanity' or 'wickedness' on its own; 残酷非道 combines it with 残酷 for a more emphatic, literary compound.
A yojijukugo combining 残酷 (cruelty) and 非道 (inhumanity, wickedness). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of pairing synonymous or complementary kanji compounds for emphasis.