Synonyms of sadism

sadism

noun

ˈsā-ˌdi-zəm 

as in cruelty

disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others

a troubled youth with a streak of sadism in him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cruelty
• brutality
• savagery
• atrocity
• barbarity
• inhumanity
• heartlessness
• savageness
• cruelness
• viciousness
• murderousness
• fiendishness
• wantonness
• barbarousness
• truculence
• ruthlessness
• inhumanness
• mercilessness
• atrociousness
• meanness
• pitilessness
• ferocity
• grimness
• bloodthirstiness
• malevolence
• oppressiveness
• bloodlust
• ferociousness
• fierceness
• spitefulness
• maliciousness
• hatefulness
• malignity
• hard-heartedness
• sanguinity
• unfeelingness
• fellness
• harshness
• nastiness
• cattiness
• sanguineness
• heavy-handedness
• despitefulness
• hardhandedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathy
• compassion
• humanity
• kindness
• humaneness
• tenderness
• benignity
• warmth
• tenderheartedness
• kindheartedness
• warmness
• good-heartedness
• pity
• mercy
• leniency
• clemency
• warmheartedness
• charitableness
• mercifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sadism

Pavlovich’s allegations, like others against Gaiman, often involve acts associated with BDSM (bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism). —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2025

To understand why Germans at different levels of society backed Hitler, scholars often cite people’s deep commitment to Nazi ideology; the hatred of Jews, homosexuals, Romani, or Communists; or sheer psychopathic sadism. —Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025

Meanwhile, Bill Moseley enters the franchise as Chop-Top, a new family member who was apparently in Vietnam during the events of the first film and has returned with a metal plate in his head and a penchant for grating sadism. —Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024

Popular on Variety But Art the Clown takes the concept of enjoying homicidal sadism to new levels of sick-puppy insanity. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2024