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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadism
Noun
  • Brooks explained the white and brown pup was rescued from a cruelty case in South Carolina.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The cruelty, after all, is the point.
    Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sadism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadism. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sadism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!