sadistic
adjective
sa·dis·tic
sə-ˈdi-stik 
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 surgeon—
The New Yorker
The New YorkerFor my 41st birthday, an especially sadistic buddy gave me a video of me falling off my skateboard nearly 160 times.—Bret Anthony Johnston
Bret Anthony Johnston
sadistically
adverb
… in a gangster story realism requires that the hoods kill each other off and do so sadistically.
—Robert F. Moss
Robert F. Moss
Examples of sadistic in a Sentence
the troubled youth is being treated by a psychotherapist for his sadistic urges to hurt animals
Recent Examples on the Web
Four women ultimately came forward and exposed Brightman’s sadistic scheme that prosecutors said lasted from around January 2022 through late 2023, shortly before his arrest by the feds.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
There, employees at a high-tech video game firm were digitally cloned and forced to participate in a bubble world universe aboard a Star Trek-like starship by the company's sadistic co-founder.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2025
First, there’s whatever sadistic fates the filmmakers have in mind for the characters, from being impaled by a forklift to having their faces plunged into the propeller of the Staten Island Ferry.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Take Stallone’s troubled Vietnam vet, Rambo, who hates prejudiced cops, duplicitous CIA agents and sadistic Soviet lieutenant colonels (not in that order).
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
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.
Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
There, employees at a high-tech video game firm were digitally cloned and forced to participate in a bubble world universe aboard a Star Trek-like starship by the company's sadistic co-founder.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 3 Apr. 2025
First, there’s whatever sadistic fates the filmmakers have in mind for the characters, from being impaled by a forklift to having their faces plunged into the propeller of the Staten Island Ferry.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025
Take Stallone’s troubled Vietnam vet, Rambo, who hates prejudiced cops, duplicitous CIA agents and sadistic Soviet lieutenant colonels (not in that order).
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadistic
Cite this Entry
“Sadistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadistic. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share