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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for butcherly
  1. brutal
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. savage
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • The wait can be brutal for attorneys and their clients, Yannetti told Fox News Digital.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But with one brutal tackle, that opportunity was snatched from him.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Having Sheridan actually be a cruel person was one of the key audience expectations the writer-director hoped to flip in the pursuit of laughs.
    — William Earl, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But Triage does have a moment in which an ember of the old cruel optimism flickers.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • Your husband merely identified the obvious, most vicious enemy of the people in straightforward terms.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Democrats have little trouble understanding that the right-wing infighting over Carlson is about whether the Republican tent, which already includes racists, nativists, and vicious Islamophobes, is also big enough to include anti-Semites.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Cole, who has to maneuver his way around 20 savage crew members, each of whom will need to be killed, doesn’t waste a homicidal movement.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The savage battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa had already demonstrated the ferocity with which Japanese forces would defend their homeland.
    — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • He was always destined to follow in the footsteps of another tyrannical, ruthless Don – Michael Corleone.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Ink finds the Sinners star playing ruthless tabloid editor Larry Lamb in Boyle’s retelling of what happened when Rupert Murdoch acquired struggling British newspaper The Sun.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

butchering
butcherly
butchers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Butcherly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butcherly. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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