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
The New YorkerFor my 41st birthday, an especially sadistic buddy gave me a video of me falling off my skateboard nearly 160 times.—Bret Anthony Johnston
Bret Anthony Johnston
sadistically
adverb
… in a gangster story realism requires that the hoods kill each other off and do so sadistically.
—Robert F. Moss
Robert F. Moss
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
Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received more than 3,000 reports involving sadistic online exploitation, a 130% increase over the year prior, said Lauren Coffren, an executive director with the center.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Why cruise lines conduct safety drills Safety drills, also called muster drills, are not the brainchild of a sadistic cruise ship officer, trying to place obstacles between cruise guests and their sunbathing and cocktails.
—Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Readers follow Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, after an alien invasion destroys the Earth, forcing many of the survivors into a sadistic, deadly game show for an intergalactic audience.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, posed in front of a group of immigrants sent to a torture site in El Salvador, in a show of sadistic titillation.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
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Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Why cruise lines conduct safety drills Safety drills, also called muster drills, are not the brainchild of a sadistic cruise ship officer, trying to place obstacles between cruise guests and their sunbathing and cocktails.
—Erica Silverstein, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Readers follow Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, after an alien invasion destroys the Earth, forcing many of the survivors into a sadistic, deadly game show for an intergalactic audience.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Kristi Noem, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, posed in front of a group of immigrants sent to a torture site in El Salvador, in a show of sadistic titillation.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadistic. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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