sadistic

adjective

sa·​dis·​tic sə-ˈdi-stik 

also sā-

or sa-

: of, relating to, or characterized by sadism

sadistic fantasies

: taking pleasure in the infliction of pain, punishment, or humiliation on others

… a leg … sawed off in sections by a sadistic surgeon …

—The New Yorker

For my 41st birthday, an especially sadistic buddy gave me a video of me falling off my skateboard nearly 160 times.

—Bret Anthony Johnston

sadistically

sə-ˈdi-sti-k(ə-)lē 

also sā-

or sa-

adverb

… in a gangster story realism requires that the hoods kill each other off and do so sadistically.

—Robert F. Moss

Synonyms of sadistic

• brutal
• cruel
• vicious
• savage
• ruthless

Examples of sadistic in a Sentence

the troubled youth is being treated by a psychotherapist for his sadistic urges to hurt animals

Recent Examples on the Web

As the man falls to the ground dead, Jurek smiles in sadistic contentment. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

The film follows sadistic child slasher Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), who was burned alive by his present-day victims’ parents. — Laura Millar, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

Egerton makes inspired choices, howling with sadistic glee during his pursuit. — Robert Daniels, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2026

The picture unfolds against the backdrop of a family digital detox vacation in a house in a Swedish forest which takes a terrifying turn when a teenager discovers an old modem and unwittingly awakens a dormant, sadistic demon when it is fired up. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sadistic

• artistic
• autistic
• ballistic
• cladistic
• heuristic
• holistic
• linguistic
• logistic
• monistic
• patristic
• simplistic
• sophistic