be cruel to be kind

短语

词形变化

been cruel to be kind being cruel to be kind is cruel to be kind 三单 is cruel to be kind was cruel to be kind being cruel to be kind 现在分词 was cruel to be kind 过去式 been cruel to be kind 过去式 been cruel to be kind 过去分词

释义与例句

v.
  1. 1.

    To act cruelly in order to achieve a positive outcome in the future.

    习语

词源

From William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4: "I must be cruel, only to be kind: / Thus bad begins and worse remains behind."

来源：wiktionary