murderous

adjective

mur·​der·​ous ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs How to pronounce murderous (audio)
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

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

I can't stand this murderous heat. The lead runner set a murderous pace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Vincent Must Die, random strangers have suddenly started attacking Vincent with murderous intent. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025 And its pigtailed protagonist — to many, as recognizable and beloved a horror villain as Freddie Krueger or Jason Voorhees — is little Rhoda, whose mother (Nancy Kelly) discovers over the course of the film is actually a murderous sociopath. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025 While Halloween became a franchise mired by its own murderous multiverse, H20 deserves credit for being the first movie to ask audiences to ignore the last four entries. Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025 In nine episodes, Bill Skarsgard returns as the murderous clown, and a new group of young people must survive his predations. PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for murderous

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of murderous was in 1535

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murderous. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

murderous

adjective
mur·​der·​ous ˈmərd-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce murderous (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on murderous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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