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
But when a sadistic local (Taron Egerton) begins terrorizing her, a frantic chase ensues.
—
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
This new docuseries explores the intrepid work of former fundamentalist Christine Marie and videographer Tolga Katas in bringing down the sect's sadistic leader, Samuel Bateman.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Like some sadistic Greek myth, I was granted my freedom but sentenced this barrage of questions for the foreseeable future.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Wielding his ancient rulebook, the Lawyer spends much of the movie watching the carnage occur as a pair of sadistic twins (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy) and other hunters try to track down and murder Grace and Faith (Kathryn Newton), her estranged sister who gets roped into this mess.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
This new docuseries explores the intrepid work of former fundamentalist Christine Marie and videographer Tolga Katas in bringing down the sect's sadistic leader, Samuel Bateman.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Like some sadistic Greek myth, I was granted my freedom but sentenced this barrage of questions for the foreseeable future.
—Jeremy O. Harris, Vanity Fair, 1 Apr. 2026
Wielding his ancient rulebook, the Lawyer spends much of the movie watching the carnage occur as a pair of sadistic twins (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy) and other hunters try to track down and murder Grace and Faith (Kathryn Newton), her estranged sister who gets roped into this mess.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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Caesar Lorenzo Wilson, 54, was sentenced to 224 years in prison for the 2024 murder of University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) professor Haleh Abghari, a killing prosecutors say began as a burglary and ended in a brutal stabbing inside her own home.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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No arrests have ever been made in the brutal killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Its cruel and even lawless excesses have reverberated around the globe.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
9 May 2026
-
This is how cruel football can be.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Connecticut led New York 13-4 through the first four minutes of the third quarter, but Stewart killed the momentum with a vicious block from behind as Miller went up for a fast-break layup off of a steal.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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Harris’s film, though, trades brainy barbs for some pretty vicious violence as a set of twins, badly scarred from a childhood fire, go on a journey to confront the root of their trauma.—
Juan A. Ramírez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Critic Rex Reed, who died Tuesday at 87, built his career on savage, acerbic reviews delivered with little restraint, earning a reputation as a provocateur.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Initially a beachy utopia where the children run free among nature, things become increasingly savage as help appears to be ever further away.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Reduce Wasted Spend to Fund Your Next Project Founders are ruthless about cutting overhead, yet many creatives let thousands of dollars leak away on essential work expenses like software subscriptions, tech and supplies.—
Rhett Power,
Rolling Stone,
6 May 2026
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Stéphane de Groodt also appears, while Jochen Hägele plays the ruthless Nazi officer Dieter Frank.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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