1
as in oppressive
difficult to endure
the murderous heat of the desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
those exams were murderous
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lethal
likely to cause or capable of causing death
braved murderous machine-gun fire to capture the hill from the enemy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in murdering
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
Viking warriors became legendary for the murderous fury they displayed in battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of murderous
To tacitly discredit Peres and help Netanyahu’s chances, Hamas embarked on a murderous suicide bombing campaign.
—
Thomas Friedman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
King said he was inspired in part by Rader’s arrest, more specifically, by his ability to keep his murderous tendencies completely unknown to the rest of his family.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Bake some sweet treats, enjoy some snarky sci-fi animation, and watch a dark comedy about a murderous obituary writer this week.
—PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Thomas Friedman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
While Abigail Spanberger stood with her running mate Jay Jones and his murderous fantasies, and evaded every direct question including equivocating over men being in locker rooms with girls.
—Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
King said he was inspired in part by Rader’s arrest, more specifically, by his ability to keep his murderous tendencies completely unknown to the rest of his family.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Bake some sweet treats, enjoy some snarky sci-fi animation, and watch a dark comedy about a murderous obituary writer this week.
—PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for murderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for murderous
Adjective
-
After a summer of oppressive heat, October is when New York City hits its stride.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during the match, which was played in oppressive heat and humidity, before retiring down 6-1, 4-1.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world’s most persistent waste problems, plastics are durable and difficult to recycle.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
-
But grass is difficult to digest for the mammal.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
None of the agencies have claimed responsibility for using less-lethal weapons.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
24 Oct. 2025
-
But the lethal force has raised several legal questions, as past administrations have relied on law enforcement to interdict drug shipments.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the woman, her parents’ reasoning for denying her requests was rooted in a harsh lesson about independence.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of buying special cleaners or reaching for harsh chemicals to clean around your home, look to your medicine cabinet for a solution.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even at the show itself, some onlookers had found Lantink’s first non-couture collection from the house for a decade or so too challenging for their sensibilities to compute.—
Luke Leitch,
Vogue,
28 Oct. 2025
-
While its not uncommon for companies to establish new garment factories, new mills are more challenging.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Weather events, like extreme heat and wildfires, are becoming more common due to climate change and are having a deadly impact on the lives of thousands.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
-
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.—
Jhasua Razo,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Fox's nails may have been dipped in blood (red nail polish), but the rest of her look was soft and sweet—a fun contrast against the bloody gown.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
27 Oct. 2025
-
His trial lasted seven weeks and included testimonies from some of his former hit men, including John Veasey, who helped to prove that Stanfa had directed a bloody campaign against Merlino, per UPI.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Its lighter, more delicate texture is best suited to baking, poaching, or searing.—
Rachael Zimlich,
Verywell Health,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Racking up enthusiastic reviews, Dave’s Hot Chicken has made a searing entry into the Boise market.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/murderous. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share