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
Related article Pope expels a bishop and 9 other people from a Peru movement over ‘sadistic’ abuses
But the victims have waited years for church authorities to act, with victims lodging complaints with the Archdiocese of Lima in 2011 and reportedly even earlier.
—
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025
The actor, who tends to embody movie monsters, is up against a sadistic Anthony Hopkins in the thriller, which hits theaters on March 21.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
In Season 2, Gi-hun, aka Player 456 (played by Lee Jung-jae), returns to the sadistic competition three years after winning 45.6 billion in South Korean won as the sole survivor of the event, in order to now put an end to Squid Game and save the lives of the players around him.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
Yeoh clearly had a blast playing a sadistic, horny version of the kind and upstanding Captain Georgiou who died in Discovery's premiere.
—Ars Technica, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Christopher Lamb, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025
The actor, who tends to embody movie monsters, is up against a sadistic Anthony Hopkins in the thriller, which hits theaters on March 21.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2025
In Season 2, Gi-hun, aka Player 456 (played by Lee Jung-jae), returns to the sadistic competition three years after winning 45.6 billion in South Korean won as the sole survivor of the event, in order to now put an end to Squid Game and save the lives of the players around him.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
Yeoh clearly had a blast playing a sadistic, horny version of the kind and upstanding Captain Georgiou who died in Discovery's premiere.
—Ars Technica, 28 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
Adjective
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The occasional injury is unavoidable in a tournament where the intensity is this high, but that doesn’t make the outcome any less brutal for Theodore and the Golden Knights. 4.—
Sean McIndoe,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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Though the claims of uniquely brutal violence are mostly anecdotal, their shocking nature has become the cornerstone of such groups' outreach to Western leaders.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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More than 80 women went public with horrific tales of his brutal, coercive and punishing tactics, including launching vicious, career-crippling smear campaigns against those who eluded him, from Mira Sorvino to Ashley Judd.—
Scott Huver,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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Rushdie has since spoken out about the stabbing Rushdie, 77, testified in the Chautauqua County, New York trial and detailed the vicious attack that upended his life.—
Alana Wise,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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Be ruthless with your time Top performers who guard their calendar like their bank account report higher satisfaction levels and better business outcomes.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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Yet in 2016-17, free from midweek continental trips, Conte’s side stormed to the title with 93 points, spearheaded by a ruthless Diego Costa.—
Conor O'Neill,
The Athletic,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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