butcherly

adjective

ˈbu̇-chər-lē How to pronounce butcherly (audio)
Definition of butcherlynext
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others Genghis Khan and his butcherly horde even massacred the livestock of the villages they overran

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butcherly
  1. brutal
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. savage
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • San Francisco has already seen right-hander Hayden Birdsong undergo Tommy John surgery earlier this year, and losing McDonald for an extended period of time would be another brutal blow for the pitching staff.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • This thing—the military—aims, at least in Harlow’s eyes, to turn boys into tools for brutal battlefield aims.
    — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Gomez has endured a lengthy list of cruel setbacks during his 11-year Liverpool career and faces a wait to learn the extent of his latest injury.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • Obsessed with recovering her fortune, Magdalen’s uses of disguise and performance become manipulative, treacherous, and even cruel.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Harbaugh had tense standoffs with legacy defenders Ed Reed, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs and, during the 2012 season, held a sitdown with his players to address their vicious and personal attacks on his approach.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The film also shows Maddox and her father in a vicious argument inside her car that illustrates the fracturing of their once-close bond.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Models are ruthless in their pursuit of a goal, sometimes taking disastrous shortcuts.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • Ticketing was a ruthless game of revenue maximization, and the final became a stage for Madonna and Justin Bieber.
    — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of ruthless
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

butchering
butcherly
butchers
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Cite this Entry

“Butcherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcherly. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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