murderous

adjective

ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs How to pronounce murderous (audio)
Definition of murderousnext
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

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.
Recent Examples of murderous With this novel about gay experience and murderous homophobia in Jamaica and elsewhere during the 1980s and ’90s, James has written a masterpiece, the novel of the decade and possibly of the century thus far. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 For months, online ads have been peppering audiences with glimpses of Buddy, a ’90s children’s TV unicorn who turns creepy and murderous in what IndieWire called way back at Sundance the first great Midnight Movie of 2026. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026 Then came Hamas’ murderous invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, and the even more murderous Israeli invasion of Gaza, which triggered protests and encampments on college campuses from Mexico to Australia. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026 In Furious, Lola Petticrew’s Catherine Grace is a woman on a murderous mission. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
  1. oppressive
  2. difficult
  3. lethal
  4. bloody
  5. harsh
  6. challenging
  7. deadly
  8. brutal
Adjective
  • Amid an oppressive stretch of extreme heat and Florida-esque humidity that has been punishing much of California, consider, for a moment, the Ice Age.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The Broncos also have a truly oppressive defense, and hit hard enough to turn the Chiefs’ fragile receivers into dust.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Being undefeated after a trio of difficult opening matches can only be seen as a positive, even if Newcastle’s obvious shortcomings require addressing if that run is to be prolonged.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers need flight data on propulsion, aerodynamics, thermal management, guidance and other subsystems under conditions that are difficult to reproduce on the ground.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • If the Interior Department determines the animals have met recovery goals, the administration will also work with states to encourage them to remove state-level protections and revise standards governing lethal wolf removal.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Amish lethal microcephaly is a genetic condition that causes infants to be born with smaller than normal heads and underdeveloped brains.
    — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of lethal
Adjective
  • Indiana transfer quarterback Josh Hoover started the 2026 season with a battered and bloody face.
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The action sequences, meanwhile, are bloody but sterile and neat in a way that undermines the film’s wannabe grindhouse efforts.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar or lemon, as well as harsh chemicals and abrasive tools, to protect the glaze.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The frustration within the Democratic caucus immediately prompted some calls for harsh consequences.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Eric Loucks, the director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown, pointed out that a person can have a challenging experience during meditation and still find their overall meditation practice to be beneficial.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
  • For something more hands-on, Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville has a challenging kart circuit where karts can reach 50 mph or more.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • Deadly crash comes amid Labor Day travel The deadly crash happened during the Labor Day travel rush at the South Florida hub.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Jack Lang El Hadji Malick Diouf (Brentford) When Senegal beat England in a friendly last summer, the standout player was their rangy left-back, who seemed to spend the entire game ploughing up and down that flank and whipping in deadly crosses.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of deadly
Adjective
  • When everything changed, as the dust literally settled on the most brutal terror attack on United States soil, the prevailing impulse among NFL owners was to play the games.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The cuts and the freezing of public funding for the film industry have been brutal for Argentine cinema.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutal

Browse Nearby Words

murdering
murderous
murderousness
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Cite this Entry

“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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