as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others
the troubled youth is being treated by a psychotherapist for his sadistic urges to hurt animals
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Recent Examples of sadistic
Meanwhile, a bounty is put on the heads of both Lucas and Harland, which sends a wild-eyed and sadistic guy named Preacher (Travis Fimmel) hunting for them.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The highlight by far is a fantastically villainous turn by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as a sadistic arms dealer.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Fred was known to have sadistic tendencies and wooed a teenage Rose to join him on his killing sprees.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 14 May 2025
The sadistic Lang, however, basks in such evil and partakes of it a little, too.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 May 2025
The highlight by far is a fantastically villainous turn by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as a sadistic arms dealer.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Fred was known to have sadistic tendencies and wooed a teenage Rose to join him on his killing sprees.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 14 May 2025
The sadistic Lang, however, basks in such evil and partakes of it a little, too.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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As the state on Thursday summed up the brutal details that made up the prosecution’s case, a relative walked out of the courtroom with a loud scream, causing Petrone to tell the jury to ignore the outburst.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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Here lies the brutal dilemma of change: Leaders see systems; people feel emotions.—
Sahar Andrade,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
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This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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There are other objects of worship from the days when Japan’s Christians had to hide from vicious persecution, including a ceramic bottle of holy water from Nakaenoshima, an island where Hidden Christians were martyred in the 1620s.—
Foster Klug,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Years before the Kendrick Lamar and Drake imbroglio, Pusha T shared his own vicious diss track against the Canadian hip-hop superstar.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.—
Tom Yulsman,
Discover Magazine,
27 Dec. 2022
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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Related Stories Said to be the first book in a series, Little Hands watches as a young British woman with a mysterious past inadvertently joins a ruthless gang of female thieves who rob the ultra-wealthy along the French Riviera.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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The process requires constant iteration and ruthless prioritization.—
Chris Venezia,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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