1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
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3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
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4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of murderous
What’s going to happen to Bern, now under the custody of the murderous Budge?
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The 10-episode fifth season, released Thursday on Netflix, concluded Joe’s seven-year journey of being a murderous but oddly charming man with a penchant for stalkery and obsessive behavior.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
All this was condoned when not encouraged or even led by local and state officials, who funded murderous militias.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
The section has also added French director Cardona’s No One Will Know, a huit clos in which the clients and bar staff of a shabby cafe outside Paris enter into a murderous pact when an elderly regular comes in and wins big in the lottery.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
The 10-episode fifth season, released Thursday on Netflix, concluded Joe’s seven-year journey of being a murderous but oddly charming man with a penchant for stalkery and obsessive behavior.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
All this was condoned when not encouraged or even led by local and state officials, who funded murderous militias.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
The section has also added French director Cardona’s No One Will Know, a huit clos in which the clients and bar staff of a shabby cafe outside Paris enter into a murderous pact when an elderly regular comes in and wins big in the lottery.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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That this sincere notion dovetails with an itch to vacate her dour, oppressive home only adds to her determination.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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To be sure, Florida had its attractions, one of which was the sunny weather, although air conditioning was still rare at the time, and the heat and humidity could be oppressive for much of the year.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The serial killer sat on death row for 14 years before execution by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at age 52.—
Andrew Nodell,
People.com,
9 May 2025
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Autopsy reports for two previous executions by lethal injection indicated both prisoners required multiple doses of the sedative pentobarbital to die, and the process took more than 10 minutes.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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From adorable accents to cozy touches, drivers are increasingly looking for ways to make their commutes and grocery runs just a bit more enjoyable—perhaps to offset the harsh reality of gas prices (and everything else).—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2025
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Avoid harsh products: Soaps, lotions, and products with fragrance, alcohol, or dyes can dry out the skin and worsen atopic dermatitis.—
Health,
Health,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
Saving for retirement has become more challenging for many reasons.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
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On one hand, the problem makes a manager’s life more challenging by limiting a team’s available options to potentially finish a close game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Hurricanes Beryl and Milton were also deadly, each killing more than 40 people in the United States.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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The deadly dismantling of a global public-health infrastructure.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.—
Karen Kucher,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
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Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.—
Jonece Starr Dunigan,
AL.com,
14 July 2017
Adjective
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Set in 2019 Los Angeles, Akil’s update paints a searing portrait of the issues faced by teenagers today, exploring the social media age and how, via the race-swapping of the leads, Black kids come of age in white America.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
8 May 2025
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As one more analogous reference, the need to manage hows reminds me of great literature, in particular, Viktor Frankl’s searing memoir Man’s Search For Meaning.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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