MEANING
Taking pleasure in causing or witnessing another's pain, suffering, or humiliation.
Use it for
An attacker prolonging suffering for enjoyment; deliberate humiliation; cruelty beyond instrumental violenceMake the pleasure observable through choices that prolong harm, not an unsupported label.
Words that belong together
- sadistic pleasure
- sadistic captor
- sadistic treatment
On the page
The captor's sadistic pleasure lay in making them wait.
Her account described sadistic treatment rather than an attempt to obtain information.
The creature showed a sadistic patience, releasing its prey only to catch it again.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- sadistic
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Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Pleasure in suffering distinguishes it from reluctant violence or mere strictness. Avoid diagnosing a clinical condition from a single cruel act. Adjective; comparison: more sadistic, most sadistic. Derived/related family (not inflections): sadism (noun).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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