murderous

adjective

mur·​der·​ous ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs How to pronounce murderous (audio)
Synonyms of murderousnext
1
a
: having the purpose or capability of murder
b
: characterized by or causing murder or bloodshed
2
: having the ability or power to overwhelm : devastating
murderous heat
murderously adverb
murderousness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

I can't stand this murderous heat. The lead runner set a murderous pace.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
All this was condoned when not encouraged or even led by local and state officials, who funded murderous militias. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025 The section has also added French director Cardona’s No One Will Know, a huit clos in which the clients and bar staff of a shabby cafe outside Paris enter into a murderous pact when an elderly regular comes in and wins big in the lottery. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025 Under Soviet rule, the Ukrainian national project suffered as Ukrainians endured Joseph Stalin’s murderous collectivization and aggressive Russification. — Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Ready or Not starred Weaving as a bride who learns of her new family’s wedding night ritual where a murderous game is played, all to appease an ancient family deal with the devil. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for murderous

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of murderous was in 1535

Browse Nearby Words

murdering piece
murderous
murder weapon
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murderous. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

murderous

adjective
mur·​der·​ous ˈmərd-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce murderous (audio)
1
: intending or capable of causing murder or bloodshed : deadly
murderous machine-gun fire
2
: very difficult to bear or withstand
a murderous glance
murderous heat
murderously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on murderous

Nglish: Translation of murderous for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All