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

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

The Sparrows’ survival under Nazi questioning depended on the Hungarians handing them over to law-respecting German military officers, rather than the murderous Gestapo. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

Fear of the wilderness and its potentially lethal native creatures is hardwired into the human brain and fueled tales of haunted forests and murderous animals throughout history. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

During that week, Flynn’s mistress Alleigha Botner, 24, a worship leader at the same Tipp City church as Flynn, read from more than 100,000 text messages between herself and Flynn, some of which indicated Flynn’s murderous intentions. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 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