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sadistic

[suh-dis-tik, sey-, sa-] / səˈdɪs tɪk, seɪ-, sæ- /
ADJECTIVE
cruel, perverted
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kennedy has a real talent for taking reactionary, often sadistic ideas and reframing them to sound compassionate and therapeutic.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

Even the snobbiest TV snoots can’t resist Alan Cumming as the playfully sadistic laird of Ardross Castle, emceeing what is essentially a closed circle murder mystery.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

And no wonder: You needn’t work at a fashion magazine to relate to having a sadistic boss like Meryl Streep’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

Over his long career, Hackman won Academy Awards for portrayals of an obsessed undercover narcotics cop in “The French Connection” and a sadistic Western sheriff in “Unforgiven.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2025

Some kapos were insane, some were sadistic, and some were not so bad.

From "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps" by Andrea Warren




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