as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
a troubled youth with a streak of sadism in him
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Recent Examples of sadism
Here was the postwar American housewife—neatly dressed, pretty, poised, active—stepping unwittingly into a scene of utter depravity and sadism that reflected back at this wholesome young mother the darkest recesses of the human mind.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
That might sound sadistic; indeed, sadism is something of a Hitchcockian virtue.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
Making the loser give an address after a Grand Slam final defeat is another aspect of tennis’s unrivalled sadism.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
The book’s a meld of true crime, memoir and social commentary, but with a mission: to shock readers into a deeper understanding of the American Nightmare, ecological devastation entwined with senseless sadism.
—Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadism
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
That might sound sadistic; indeed, sadism is something of a Hitchcockian virtue.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
Making the loser give an address after a Grand Slam final defeat is another aspect of tennis’s unrivalled sadism.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025
The book’s a meld of true crime, memoir and social commentary, but with a mission: to shock readers into a deeper understanding of the American Nightmare, ecological devastation entwined with senseless sadism.
—Hamilton Cain, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadism
Noun
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Brooks explained the white and brown pup was rescued from a cruelty case in South Carolina.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The cruelty, after all, is the point.—
Liam Quinn,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Her name is Christa Gail Pike, who was convicted of killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer three decades ago in a case that made national headlines at the time for its brutality.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Safdie’s presentation of these comments foregrounds Mark’s understanding of what’s profound, and profoundly disturbing, about mixed martial arts, and perhaps all martial arts—the channelling and professionalizing of brutality.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadism. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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