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
Knoxville and his merry band of delightfully sadistic goons are back for one possibly final rodeo.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
The devastating, almost sadistic hold Ruben exerts over the mostly masochistic Niall is gripping — but hard — to watch.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
The devastating, almost sadistic hold Ruben exerts over the mostly masochistic Niall is gripping — but hard — to watch.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
-
The traditional studio model already faces immense pressure from fragmented audiences, rising production costs, declining television economics and an increasingly brutal streaming market.—
Joseph M. Singer,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
About 150 cops were hospitalized after brutal beatings by those criminal rioters.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the late '90s and early '00s, Pamela Anderson became a tabloid fixture who was frequently the butt of cruel jokes alongside many other female celebrities of the era.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
-
But fate, cruel and sudden, had other ideas.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Another thankless gig leads Ben to Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a nightclub singer with ties to Brendan Gleeson‘s Silvermane, a vicious mobster engaged in an increasingly heated conflict with the city’s mayor (Michael Kostroff).—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
-
There are the victims, their families, and lives left shattered because of a single person’s vicious wrath.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Take George Mullins — 18 years old at the battle of Carentan, one of the most savage engagements of the war, where his company lost 43 of its 45 men in three days of fighting.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
When a ruthless despot steals a billion-dollar fortune, the team is sent to steal it back on what would be for anyone else a suicide mission.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
-
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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