sadistic
Americanadjective
Usage
What does sadistic mean? Sadistic means extremely cruel or enjoying the pain of others. More specifically, sadistic can be used in the context of psychology in relation to the condition of sadism, in which a person gets sexual pleasure from other people’s pain. Sadistic can be used to describe a person or an action. Example: The dictator was known for being sadistic and merciless, enjoying the pain of the people he suppressed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of sadistic
Explanation
If you kick your little brother in the shin and feel a strange sense of enjoyment as you watch him cry, then you’re being sadistic, meaning that you get pleasure from hurting others. The Marquis de Sade was an 18th century French nobleman who became known for his unusual practices — which included finding pleasure from causing others pain. From the Marquis, we get the word sadism, which is used to describe someone who gets a strange enjoyment out of making others suffer. Someone who is sadistic might feel a cruel thrill from kicking a helpless puppy or making a child cry.
Vocabulary lists containing sadistic
The Catcher in the Rye
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The Book Thief
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Nine
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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
He said a whole-life tariff could only be given in sadistic or sexual cases, those involving abduction or a high level of premeditation.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 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
The veteran actress has often done terrific work by going small, her breakthrough coming as a Jewish maid prized by Ralph Fiennes’ sadistic Nazi in 1993’s “Schindler’s List.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2025
At the same time, I wasn’t so sadistic that I’d inflict any more of my loser-boy routine on Faith, either.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
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.
