murderous

1 of 2

adjective

mur·​der·​ous ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs 

1

a

: having the purpose or capability of murder

a murderous machine gun

b

: characterized by or causing murder or bloodshed

a murderous dictator

2

: having the ability or power to overwhelm : devastating

murderous heat

murderously adverb

murderousness noun

murderousness

2 of 2

noun

mur·​der·​ous·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being murderous

Synonyms of murderous

Adjective

• oppressive
• harsh
• searing
• brutal
• tough
• severe
• rough
• cruel
• hard
• grim
• inhuman

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

Adjective

I can't stand this murderous heat.

The lead runner set a murderous pace.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

By the third episode, murderous Jason begins to more prominently feature in episodes, and the gory deaths begin, as a swarm of innocent hippies ignore warnings and are drawn into the camp, like lambs to the slaughter. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

And the filmmaker really outdoes himself with a major set piece toward the end, when Matt enters a crowded nightclub in search of Markos and wreaks murderous havoc while shape-shifting from one persona to another. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

And our terrifying capacity to dehumanize others only accelerates, at a murderous rate, in a touchless world. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

The celebs are competing to weed out the murderous Traitors among them for a cash prize of £100,000 for a charity of their choice in Ardross Castle in the Highlands. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

murderous

adjective

mur·​der·​ous ˈmərd-(ə-)rəs 

1

: intending or capable of causing murder or bloodshed : deadly

murderous machine-gun fire

2

: very difficult to bear or withstand

a murderous glance

murderous heat

murderously adverb