cutthroat

American  

[kuht-throht] / ˈkʌtˌθroʊt /

noun

1. a person who cuts the throat of another; a murderer.

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adjective

1. murderous.

2. ruthless.

   cutthroat competition.

3. pertaining to a game, as of cards, in which each of three or more persons acts and scores as an individual.

Etymology

Origin of cutthroat

First recorded in 1525–35; cut + throat

Example Sentences

Many other famous people have done that, even in Banks’ famously cutthroat industry.

From Salon

Competition shows attract the male audience who love sports, because “it’s suspenseful, it’s cutthroat,” says Amanda Freitag, a celebrity chef who battled and narrowly lost to Iron Chef Bobby Flay in 2009.

From The Wall Street Journal

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported Thursday its lowest annual profit since the Covid pandemic, as it counted the cost of US tariffs and cutthroat competition in China.

From Barron's

It’s also before things get cutthroat and they really have to eliminate each other.

From Los Angeles Times

This shift—combined with persistent brand-name shortages—opened the door for telehealth firms and compounded “copycats,” introducing cutthroat price competition years earlier than the industry expected.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ferocious
• vicious