cruelty vs abuse

cruelty and abuse both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
cruelty	Yes	No	No	No
abuse	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, abuse is a hypernym of cruelty; that is, abuse is a word with a broader meaning than cruelty:

Other hypernyms of cruelty include ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment.

cruelty (noun)	abuse (noun)
a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering	improper or excessive use
the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance	cruel or inhumane treatment
feelings of extreme heartlessness	a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

cruelty (verb)	abuse (verb)
	change the inherent purpose or function of something
	use wrongly or improperly or excessively
	use foul or abusive language towards
	treat badly