1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The American liberators made sure that the townspeople could no longer look away from the murderous rampage carried out in their backyards.
—
Sara J. Brenneis, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
That discomfort makes sense, as Pap returns to earth to let Juicy know his death was by Rev’s murderous hands, and the only way to avenge him is to make Juicy’s own hands a killing weapon.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Set two years after the little robot lady went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
The rest is a whole lot of creepiness of some seemingly murderous children, some bloodshed, and more.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Sara J. Brenneis, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
That discomfort makes sense, as Pap returns to earth to let Juicy know his death was by Rev’s murderous hands, and the only way to avenge him is to make Juicy’s own hands a killing weapon.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
Set two years after the little robot lady went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025
The rest is a whole lot of creepiness of some seemingly murderous children, some bloodshed, and more.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
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The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
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Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Third, operational command of Kamikaze planes is difficult because results cannot be evaluated with any accuracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Instead, the major drama comes in the form of Ivy’s corruption by her acting coach, as Ivy gradually goes method and becomes as difficult to work with as Marilyn was (one of this musical’s many meta moments).—
Christian Lewis,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane way to kill an inmate, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
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Neither are the most lethal shooting teams from deep, with Houston 13th and Memphis 15th in made 3s per game.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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Even if investors are slightly more confident this week, after Trump backed off most of his harshest tariff rates, the changes in people’s life-style habits serve as their own kind of affective barometer.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The game is essentially 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball, offering a challenging experience that, while not entirely reflective of actual wheelchair basketball, provides a unique gameplay twist.—
Eammonn Dignam,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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But as the birds got more comfortable with the task at hand, the team made the experiment increasingly challenging.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what led to the deadly incident.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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The Oscar winner portrays a former president leading an investigation in the aftermath of a deadly national cyber attack.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 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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Her viral speech in Minneapolis in 2020 remains one of the most searing indictments of state violence in recent memory.—
Sughnen Yongo,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Storms in the South can topple shade trees, opening yards to the searing summer sun.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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