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 But his voice tyrannically resounds with sadistic orders and conservative cultural commentary during the second-act flashback scene, in which a fateful day on the set of the show changes the lives of Ronika and Blair. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Dungeon Crawler Carl is set after an alien invasion has wiped out most of humanity and any survivors are forced to fight for their lives on a sadistic intergalactic game show. — Peter White, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026 Bradshaw raised the ambiguity of the film’s central letter, in which Elisabet leaves an envelope open for Alma to read, and asked whether Bergman was showing a darker, more sadistic side of his heroine. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026 Bryant then claims that Cunningham's stance on female sports is comparable to Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem or denouncing the Fourth of July as sadistic. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadistic
  1. brutal
  2. cruel
  3. vicious
  4. savage
  5. ruthless
Adjective
  • Especially for a team that's played a brutal schedule through the first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Broncos get a long weekend off after their brutal six-week opening stretch.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • In response to legislation to end the cruelty once and for all, the Daily News once again trotted out its old and tired defense of this cruel, deadly and outdated industry.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Policing cringe is the cruelest métier of the internet—the origin of harassment campaigns and platforming of contempt.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • So too, the possibility of Rollerball-style carnage carnivals where robots compete in vicious cage matches until only one android is still moving.
    — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Cash reserves totaling $ 7,450,869 are being used to eviscerate his opponent with a vicious barrage of ad hominem assaults, thus giving him a 61 to 1 spending edge.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Onscreen, this ethnic conflict allowed Ken-san and other kimonoed gangsters to be presented as pure, sincere, patriotic heroes fighting for traditional Japanese values against savage aliens as well as local, gun-toting yakuza.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • She is described as brusque, cantankerous, ruthless — and also a killer.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Such ruthless prioritization produced some admirable results.
    — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of ruthless

Browse Nearby Words

sadism
sadistic
sadly
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Cite this Entry

“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadistic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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