as in cruelty
disposition to willfully inflict pain and suffering on others
a troubled youth with a streak of sadism in him
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Recent Examples of sadism
Zephyr’s girlboss attitude doesn’t offset any of the sadism.
—
Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Still, weapon damage lacks spice — the over-the-top comic sadism and gore that made DOOM Eternal a constant joy is muted.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
But any idealism he’s held onto is now coupled with sadism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 May 2025
Still, the sadism of the show’s fictional world finds ample comparisons in our own.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadism
Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Still, weapon damage lacks spice — the over-the-top comic sadism and gore that made DOOM Eternal a constant joy is muted.
—Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
But any idealism he’s held onto is now coupled with sadism.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 May 2025
Still, the sadism of the show’s fictional world finds ample comparisons in our own.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sadism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadism
Noun
-
The new law adds to existing municipal ordinances that forbid animal cruelty or neglect, including leaving a pet in too small of a space or outside in the hot Florida sun.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
3 July 2025
-
The record got its name from a title track that comes mid-album, a plucky, haunting Americana song that explores the ties between love and cruelty.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
For Sarah, eros serves as a powerful conduit for the divine, but the divine is not without brutality nor chaos.—
Terry Nguyen
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
-
President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and their supporters are celebrating the brutality of the 3,000-bed detention facility that was hastily built in the Florida Everglades, one of the harshest natural environments in the United States.—
Time,
Time,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sadism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadism. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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