cutthroat

[kuht-throht]

noun

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

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cutthroat¹

First recorded in 1525–35; cut + throat

Example Sentences

China’s industrial profit rose significantly in August, suggesting Beijing’s recent ramped-up drive to curb excess capacity and rein in cutthroat business competition is starting to bear fruit.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“It was so cutthroat. They took my money, didn’t say a word. I feel bad for the staff,” Katrina Dargel told the magazine.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

EV makers have subsidised car dealers and offered zero-interest loans to buyers as the industry becomes increasingly cutthroat.

Read more on BBC

But even as he allowed technocrats into his administration, President Roosevelt was a cutthroat practitioner of politics.

Read more on Salon

Yet if “The Studio” portrays Hollywood as competitive and chaotic, “Action” painted it as downright cutthroat.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ferocious 
• vicious