sadistic

adjective

sa·​dis·​tic sə-ˈdi-stik How to pronounce sadistic (audio)
 also  sā-,
 or  sa-
: of, relating to, or characterized by sadism
sadistic fantasies
: taking pleasure in the infliction of pain, punishment, or humiliation on others
a leg … sawed off in sections by a sadistic surgeonThe New Yorker
For my 41st birthday, an especially sadistic buddy gave me a video of me falling off my skateboard nearly 160 times.Bret Anthony Johnston
sadistically
sə-ˈdi-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce sadistic (audio)
 also  sā-
 or  sa-
adverb
… in a gangster story realism requires that the hoods kill each other off and do so sadistically. Robert F. Moss

Examples of sadistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At one point in the new sci-fi sequel, Butler's villainous and sadistic character Feyd-Rautha receives a promotion of sorts from his uncle, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Skarsgård). Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Activists are already clamouring for this sadistic killer to be incarcerated in a women's prison. Zack Sharf, Variety, 26 Feb. 2024 Notable for serving as the film debut for young actors like Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter, and Fisher Stevens (all of whom appear in small roles), The Burning is violent, sadistic, and gives off strong Friday the 13th vibes. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2023 The violence is sadistic and gory; the setups are inventive and engaging. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 Her origins prove decidedly more complex: Bella’s body was fished out of the Thames after dying by suicide to escape her sadistic husband, Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott). Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024 Those scenes, set in a hellish war zone ruled by sadistic thugs, are gruesome in their depiction of what joining ISIS means for naïve boys like Mehdi and Amine. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Even Roose Bolton treats his horrible, sadistic son better than this. Erik Kain, Forbes, 9 Feb. 2024 The story becomes a fight for survival as the sadistic locals savagely attack the vacationers separated from their friends, played by Reynolds and Ronny Cox. Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sadistic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sadistic was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near sadistic

Cite this Entry

“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadistic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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