as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
the troubled youth is being treated by a psychotherapist for his sadistic urges to hurt animals
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Recent Examples of sadistic
Ward 209 has been a repository for detainees leveraged as pawns in Iran’s sadistic foreign policy.
—
Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Her granddaughter, Millicent, falls for Nenagh’s bad boy, the sadistic Augie Penrose.
—Hamilton Cain, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Meanwhile, a bounty is put on the heads of both Lucas and Harland, which sends a wild-eyed and sadistic guy named Preacher (Travis Fimmel) hunting for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The highlight by far is a fantastically villainous turn by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as a sadistic arms dealer.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Robin Wright, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
Her granddaughter, Millicent, falls for Nenagh’s bad boy, the sadistic Augie Penrose.
—Hamilton Cain, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Meanwhile, a bounty is put on the heads of both Lucas and Harland, which sends a wild-eyed and sadistic guy named Preacher (Travis Fimmel) hunting for them.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The highlight by far is a fantastically villainous turn by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as a sadistic arms dealer.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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The Republican tax bill could push food assistance in Colorado into a vicious cycle of funding cuts, increasing mistakes in determining eligibility and further funding cuts to punish those mistakes, Gov. Jared Polis warned in a letter to congressional leaders Friday.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
16 June 2025
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Plaschke delivers a vicious uppercut to his opponent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Related Stories Said to be the first book in a series, Little Hands watches as a young British woman with a mysterious past inadvertently joins a ruthless gang of female thieves who rob the ultra-wealthy along the French Riviera.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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This is because the film, which Anderson both wrote (alongside Roman Coppola) and directed, centers on wealthy business tycoon Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), who, thanks to his often ruthless deal-making, has become a frequent target of assassination attempts.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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