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
The gang is in existential crisis mode when they get thrown into a donation box and face their own mortality at a day care run by a sadistic teddy bear.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
What sadistic joke is this for families facing Alzheimer’s, stroke or advanced dementia?
—Paul Fillinger, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Robbie Daymond, a frequent Critical Role guest, makes a surprise appearance on the stage, playing the sadistic host of a fantasy reality show.
—James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
What is a hint in the novel becomes a horror onscreen when Fanny discovers sketchbooks showing sadistic scenes of plantation life.
—Marina Harss, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 June 2025
What sadistic joke is this for families facing Alzheimer’s, stroke or advanced dementia?
—Paul Fillinger, Mercury News, 18 June 2025
Robbie Daymond, a frequent Critical Role guest, makes a surprise appearance on the stage, playing the sadistic host of a fantasy reality show.
—James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2025
What is a hint in the novel becomes a horror onscreen when Fanny discovers sketchbooks showing sadistic scenes of plantation life.
—Marina Harss, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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The mini tubs are portable, mess-free, and endlessly useful, especially on long flights where dry cabin air can be brutal.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
11 July 2025
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The Eastern Conference is wide open after the brutal injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton during the playoffs, and now the Knicks are saddled with the expectations of excellence.—
Tom Rende,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Politics remains a cruel business and the governor has been on the frontline of it for nearly 20 years, winning and losing.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Stanton, demonstrating that there’s still plenty of power in his vicious swing, sent the pitch 401 feet the other way at 106.1 mph.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The author presents a vicious takedown of George Washington.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
9 July 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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As a member of a crew that robs banks, Mr. Blonde is the most ruthless.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 July 2025
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As they’re hunted by a ruthless drug gang led by the menacing Power (Aidan Gillen), their fight for survival becomes a journey of redemption.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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