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
Graham Greene, Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Bomb Party
This darkly comic tour de force from Graham Greene focuses on Dr. Fischer, a sadistic millionaire who hosts notoriously cruel parties at his lakeside mansion.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
While the Pahalgam massacre triggered Jews with flashbacks to October 7, October 7, in turn, triggered Hindus with flashbacks to the sadistic butchery in Kashmir over three decades ago.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
May 27, 2025 One of the standout performances of the franchise is Anthony Starr as Homelander, a sadistic version of Superman that leads the superhero group The Seven.
—Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
But evil often exists within the walls of a home rather than outside: her sadistic brother Shawn physically abused her for years while her parents looked the other way.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 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.
Literary Hub, 10 June 2025
While the Pahalgam massacre triggered Jews with flashbacks to October 7, October 7, in turn, triggered Hindus with flashbacks to the sadistic butchery in Kashmir over three decades ago.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
May 27, 2025 One of the standout performances of the franchise is Anthony Starr as Homelander, a sadistic version of Superman that leads the superhero group The Seven.
—Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
But evil often exists within the walls of a home rather than outside: her sadistic brother Shawn physically abused her for years while her parents looked the other way.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 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 24 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share