sadistic

adjective

sə-ˈdi-stik How to pronounce sadistic (audio)
Definition of sadisticnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sadistic Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney described Heuermann as a remorseless and sadistic serial killer who cared only about himself. — Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026 Most of us are slaves to Teams in our day jobs, and the inclusion of the call tone is a work of sadistic (and entirely on-brand) genius. — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
  1. brutal
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. savage
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • And, as the Punisher, Frank is known to enact particularly brutal, bloody vengeance.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • After opening the season on the big-league roster and then suffering a demotion after a brutal debut, Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter could be poised to make a stunning return to the mound against the Orioles.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Who could be so cruel as to cut off their family from the family plan?
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Influencer culture didn’t exist yet, but some designers were cruel and catty, even without the current omnipresent evil of social media.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Several celebrities and their PR teams have denounced Hilton for his vicious public insults, including Khloe Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga, a former friend of Hilton.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The prequel details the vicious battle between former friends Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) for the Iron Throne and its subsequent reverberations.
    — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Golf star Charley Hull pulled off a savage prank on her caddie, Adam Woodward, earlier in the week, and some people were upset about it.
    — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • With her Demonic transformation, Rauch added a whole new shade of dark to Big Bang alums’ returns for the spinoff, following Kaley Cuoco’s ruthless Penny in Episode 2 and Kunal Nayyar’s deeply depressed Raj in Episode 1.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Through remarkable archival footage and an incredible range of interviews, Monsters of God digs into the egotistical and ruthless mentalities that supported competing criminal empires and the undercover operations that dismantled them.
    — Rory Doherty, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of ruthless

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sadistic
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Cite this Entry

“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sadistic for Spanish Speakers

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