sa·dis·tic
| \ sə-ˈdi-stik
also sā- or sa- \
also sā- or sa- \
Definition of sadistic
: 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
Other Words from sadistic
sadistically
\
sə-ˈdi-sti-k(ə-)lē
also sā- or sa-
\
adverb
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
Learn More About sadistic
Statistics for sadistic
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadistic. Accessed 14 Aug. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
The Great British Vocabulary Quiz
-
- Named after Sir Robert Peel, what are British police called?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Name That Animal: Volume 2
Can you tell a meerkat from a wombat?
Take the quiz
-
Fashionable Words
A vocab quiz with panache
Take the quiz
-
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share sadistic
Time Traveler for sadistic
The first known use of sadistic was in 1892
See more words from the same year