1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
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4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of murderous
Further, human members of those communities often are hostile towards outsiders and become violent, even murderous, when newcomers arrive.
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Just north of Magic Mountain’s roller coasters, hidden within the vast, anonymous industrial parks of Valencia, lies the secret lab where the murderous doll M3GAN was born.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Newcastle United’s Italian midfielder is scorching forward at a murderous pace, his intent so malicious that Lavia hesitates — and that hesitation is enough.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
In the first film in the Firefly trilogy, 2003’s House of 1000 Corpses, the depths of Spaulding’s depravity and his connection to the murderous Firefly clan aren’t fully clear.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
Just north of Magic Mountain’s roller coasters, hidden within the vast, anonymous industrial parks of Valencia, lies the secret lab where the murderous doll M3GAN was born.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Newcastle United’s Italian midfielder is scorching forward at a murderous pace, his intent so malicious that Lavia hesitates — and that hesitation is enough.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
In the first film in the Firefly trilogy, 2003’s House of 1000 Corpses, the depths of Spaulding’s depravity and his connection to the murderous Firefly clan aren’t fully clear.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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More than 60 years ago, my parents fled Cuba for the United States, seeking freedom from an oppressive regime that dictated what businesses produced and how products were priced.—
Carlos Cubelo,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
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The film follows a 40-year-old widowed nurse named Mahnaz, who is struggling with a rebellious son and other complications in a heavily oppressive patriarchal context.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But the fact that Schwartzman, in his first film, was given the difficult task of stealing laughs away from a comedy legend, and so often succeeds in doing so, gives him the slight edge.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
30 May 2025
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These connections are difficult to make from within, but consultants are trained to see across boundaries.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Stephen Stanko’s attorneys told him that lethal injection would feel like drowning when a lethal dose of pentobarbital is injected into the inmate’s veins and there’s a rush of fluid into the lungs.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
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However, in the days to come, zoo officials faced mounting criticism for not trying to tranquilize the 17-year-old Western lowland silverback before using lethal force.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Kilar’s bold moves and harsh comeuppance beg the question: In an age of uncertainty, should Hollywood look to innovative but potentially disruptive outsiders or elevate from within?—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
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Instead of internalising every harsh comment, try reframing it as information about their inner world rather than a reflection of your worth.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Now, consumer spending has been getting a little bit more challenging.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
3 June 2025
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Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.—
Nicholas Green,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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On May 29, Russia launched a series of deadly attacks across Ukraine, killing at least seven civilians.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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The only new name in 2025 is Dexter, which replaced Dorian, a deadly and destructive Category 5 hurricane that wreaked havoc in the Bahamas in 2019.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.—
Karen Kucher,
sandiegouniontribune.com,
19 July 2017
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Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.—
Jonece Starr Dunigan,
AL.com,
14 July 2017
Adjective
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His breakthrough role proved to be a history-making one too, securing the part of David, aka Tsotsi, in Gavin Hood’s searing 2005 crime drama Tsotsi.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
27 May 2025
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And of all the heartbreak Indiana has caused Knicks fans over the years, this might be the most searing.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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