adjective
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intending, capable of, or guilty of murder
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informal very dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant
a murderous road
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of murderous
Explanation
A person who's murderous is cruel and violent enough to kill someone. If you are experiencing a murderous rage, it's best to stay inside and away from the public. A murderer, someone who kills deliberately, can be described as murderous. You can also use this adjective in an exaggerated way, simply to emphasize how mad someone is, like when you describe your brother's murderous expression when he realizes you've eaten the last of his Halloween candy. Murderous comes from murder, which in turn has its roots in the Old English morðor, "unlawful killing."
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.
Running from murderous in-laws is nothing compared to the threat at the heart of “Something Very Bad is Going to Happen,” which depicts exchanging vows with a presumed soul mate as gambling with a curse.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
The upbeat vibe is markedly different from the apocalyptic, at times murderous, sci-fi of today.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Keith David, who plays real-life activist minister Henry H. Garnet, gives a seven-minute speech on education as if he’s performing a Shakespearean monologue, after which he faces down a murderous sheriff like he’s Shaft.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
Shortly after Museveni took power in 1986, ending years of bloodshed and chaos under murderous tyrants, the young president mused that leaders overstaying their welcome lay at the heart of Africa's problems.
From Barron's • Jan. 12, 2026
The other Sisters scurried away, shooting murderous glances at the Grand Elder, which thankfully he did not notice.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
