murderous

adjective mur·der·ous \ ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs \

Definition of murderous

1 a :having the purpose or capability of murder

b :characterized by or causing murder or bloodshed

2 :having the ability or power to overwhelm :devastating

murderous heat

—

murderously

adverb

—

murderousness

noun

See murderous defined for English-language learners

See murderous defined for kids

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

I can't stand this murderous heat.
The lead runner set a murderous pace.

Recent Examples of murderous from the Web

Write a novel about a magical world filled with one or more of the following: dying high school students, bondage enthusiasts, murderous wives, or drifters who solve crimes.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to B.S. Your Way to a Seven-Figure Book Deal," 23 Aug. 2017
After all, two dragons are better than one—even if that one is undead, breathes ice, and is controlled by a murderous monster.

— bernadette deron, Harper's BAZAAR, "Everything You Need to Know About Game of Thrones," 22 Aug. 2017
The code unlocks yet another snippet of a script, which appears to be referencing season four favorite Twisty, the deranged murderous clown and inspiration to eventual serial killer Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock).

— jackie strause, The Hollywood Reporter, "'American Horror Story': Deciphering All the 'Cult' Clues," 18 Aug. 2017
She is matched at every turn by Jessica Bennett as the jealous, equally murderous Velma Kelly, darling of the press until Roxie landed in jail.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "ArtsCentric offers all-African-American production of 'Chicago'," 2 Aug. 2017
A love of brocade robes, secrets, and murderous plots!

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones: 14 Reasons Why Lady Olenna Is the Show’s Best Character," 30 July 2017
A love of brocade robes, secrets, and murderous plots!

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: 14 Reasons Why Lady Olenna Is the Show’s Best Character," 30 July 2017
On top of that, there's the extreme heat and rolling murderous smog clouds to deal with, like Europe and China are already seeing.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "So What Would Happen If All The Ice Melted?," 28 July 2017
Yet Darwin provided an explanation for nature’s murderous subtext.

— Longreads, "Late in Life, Thoreau Became a Serious Darwinist," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'murderous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of murderous

1535

murderous Synonyms

Synonyms

bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy, inhuman, harsh, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying

Antonyms

easy, light, soft

Near Antonyms

comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug; agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant; peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful; bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable; balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

MURDEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

murderous

adjective

Definition of murderous for English Language Learners

: very violent or deadly
: very angry
: very harsh or severe

MURDEROUS Defined for Kids

murderous

adjective mur·der·ous \ ˈmər-də-rəs \

Definition of murderous for Students

1 :intending or capable of causing murder :deadly

a murderous attack

2 :very hard to bear or withstand

murderous heat

Learn More about murderous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for murderous Spanish Central: Translation of murderous Nglish: Translation of murderous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of murderous for Arabic speakers

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Examples of murderous in a Sentence

Recent Examples of murderous from the Web

First Known Use of murderous

murderous Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

MURDEROUS Defined for English Language Learners

murderous

Definition of murderous for English Language Learners

MURDEROUS Defined for Kids

murderous

Definition of murderous for Students

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