butcherly

adjective

ˈbu̇-chər-lē How to pronounce butcherly (audio)
Definition of butcherlynext
as in brutal
having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others Genghis Khan and his butcherly horde even massacred the livestock of the villages they overran

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butcherly
  1. brutal
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. savage
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • After decades of conflict with Beijing over discrimination and suppression of their cultural identity, the Chinese government launched a brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs that some Western governments deem a genocide.
    Dake Kang and Huizhong Wu, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
  • The elites got out of positions quickly, while retail investors were left twiddling their thumbs and absorbing brutal losses.
    Trent Hoerr, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 Jan. 2025
  • In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.
    Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • That’s when Evans, in a full sprint, blindsided Lattimore with a vicious hit in the back and knocked him to the ground.
    Rick Stroud, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Several fast-growing wildfires fueled by a vicious Southern California wind storm are devastating communities across the Los Angeles region, with homes being burned to the ground and tens of thousands of people evacuating to safety.
    Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • The lawyer who normally practices in New York is gregarious, quick with a joke and always happy to talk to the media, but can be ruthless in cross-examination.
    Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
  • City are going through some stuff, Arsenal aren’t ruthless enough, Chelsea are wobbling, teams will figure out how to beat Nottingham Forest soon enough, Newcastle are the form team now but are an Alexander Isak injury away from trouble.
    Carl Anka, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of ruthless
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near butcherly

butchering

butcherly

butchers

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Cite this Entry

“Butcherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcherly. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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