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
To close out season 5 — and kick off season 6 — Criminal Minds turned to former Pennywise actor Tim Curry to play sadistic serial killer Billy Flynn.
—
Rachel Labonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
And there was a sadistic streak to the attacks.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
The historical Barbie is described as very sadistic, physically aggressive — someone who enters a room and strikes people on the head, leaving them unconscious during interrogations.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
There’s an element of sadistic, John Simonesque glee to his attacks on the personal appearances of actors.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Rachel Labonte,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 June 2026
And there was a sadistic streak to the attacks.
—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
The historical Barbie is described as very sadistic, physically aggressive — someone who enters a room and strikes people on the head, leaving them unconscious during interrogations.
—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
There’s an element of sadistic, John Simonesque glee to his attacks on the personal appearances of actors.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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The New York Mets are in disarray thanks to a brutal start to what was supposed to be a promising season.
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In 1972, a year after a brutal conflict—one in which India helped with the rebirth of the eastern wing of Pakistan as Bangladesh—New Delhi and Islamabad concluded an agreement that resumed limited trade.
Adjective
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Swift moved on from one Brit to the next, quietly dating actor Joe Alwyn from 2017 to 2023, while the world spent back-to-back cruel summers without Taymerica.
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This is particularly gratifying given the absurd and cruel trolling the young actress received from the toxic corners of internet fandom leading up to the film’s release.
Adjective
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That’s still high, but moves downward mean less chance of a vicious cycle where expectations for higher inflation drive changes in behavior that create higher inflation.
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That’s still high, but moves downward mean less chance of a vicious cycle where expectations for higher inflation drive changes in behavior that create higher inflation.
Adjective
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For my microgeneration, the disillusionment crept in with the savage failure of the Iraq War.
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Set in the fictional lands of Westeros, House of the Dragon depicts a savage succession struggle within House Targaryen and a resulting civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Adjective
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Canadian quartet Truck Violence have been sloshing together these subgenres in a ruthless manner for several years now, and their sophomore album and debut for the Flenser aims for even higher drops between those peaks and valleys.
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There was relative peace for 11 years, until a second civil war erupted in 1983, when leaders in Khartoum imposed sharia (Islamic) law and accelerated repression of the southern Christian rebels, which ultimately allowed a ruthless military officer, Omar al-Bashir, to come to power in 1989.
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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