sadisticsa‧dis‧tic /səˈdɪstɪk/ adjective 
He took sadistic pleasure in humiliating her. sadistic fantasies► see thesaurus at cruel, unkind—sadistically /-kli/ adverb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "I'm afraid you will never see your children again,'' he said with a sadistic smile.
- Carter turned to her with a sadistic glint in his eye.
- In the film, Khan portrays a murderer who gets a deep sadistic thrill out of killing.
- The principal was a sadistic man who enjoyed tormenting his students.
- But Peckinpah is unable to create any objectivity towards the sadistic spectacle, in the manner of, say, Akira Kurosawa.
- But, of course, she had known about the sadistic part.
- Cardea responds, a mildly sadistic glint in his eye.
- We children suffered through dull repetitive schoolwork, under the lash of sadistic teachers.
THESAURUS
deliberately hurting people or making them suffer: · It was cruel to lock the dog in the garage all day.· Her father had been very cruel to her when she was a child.· a cruel, selfish woman
not feeling any pity and not caring about other people or their problems: · How could you be so heartless!· He was cold and heartless and had no concern for the welfare of his employees.
getting pleasure from making other people suffer: · a sadistic killer· a sadistic thing to do
extremely cruel, in a way that shocks people: · a barbaric punishment· a barbaric sport
very violent and cruel, especially by suddenly attacking someone and causing injury to them: · a vicious attack on an innocent man· Some dogs can be vicious.
very cruel and violent, in a way that shows no human feelings: · a brutal dictator· the brutal methods used by the secret police
inhumane conditions, treatment etc are not considered acceptable because they cause too much suffering: · the inhumane treatment of prisoners
a cold-blooded murder, attack etc is done without showing any feeling or pity for the person who is attacked. A cold-blooded killer kills people without showing any pity: · a woman's cold-blooded murder of her devoted husband· a cold-blooded psychopath
very unkind especially spoken very unkind: · Why is Jack always so horrible to me?
very unkind and deliberately making people feel unhappy or making them suffer physically: · Her father was very cruel to her.· a selfish, cruel woman
extremely unkind and behaving in a very immoral way: · a wicked thing to do· the wicked stepmother in Cinderella
extremely unkind and enjoying making other people suffer: · Their father was a sadistic bully who beat them regularly.· He took a certain sadistic pleasure in his job.
Longman Language Activatorwords for describing people who are cruel someone who is cruel deliberately causes pain or makes people suffer: · Children can sometimes be very cruel.· Brand was a cruel and intimidating man who abused his children and his wife.cruel to: · Her parents were very cruel to her when she was young.
so determined to get what you want that you do not care how much you harm other people: · These men are ruthless terrorists and will kill anyone who tries to stop them.· Father could be quite ruthless about getting his own way.· the ruthless dictator, Joseph Stalin
not feeling any pity and not caring about other people or their problems: · How can you be so heartless?· In his autobiography, he portrays his father as cold and heartless.· She was a heartless, money-grabbing woman who made her fortune from the misery and desperation of others.
using your power to cruelly force other people to do what you want: · Lewis was a tyrannical boss who frightened and humiliated his employees.· Thousands of refugees fled the tyrannical regime in search of political freedom.
someone who is sadistic gets pleasure from making other people suffer: · The principal was a sadistic man who enjoyed tormenting his students.· In the film, Khan portrays a murderer who gets a deep sadistic thrill out of killing.· "I'm afraid you will never see your children again,'' he said with a sadistic smile.
someone who enjoys being cruel to other people: · Andrea's father was an absolute sadist. It's not surprising she hates him.
someone who uses their authority or strength to frighten or hurt someone who is weaker: · A group of kids stood by and watched the school bully beat up a smaller boy.· Critics describe the mayor as an arrogant bully who hates to be contradicted.
someone in a position of power who treats other people very cruelly: · She was a tyrant who had absolutely no tolerance for mistakes.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He took sadistic pleasure in humiliating her.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
cruel and enjoying making other people suffer: He took sadistic pleasure in humiliating her.· I was terrified Voice over Nottingham Crown court heard medical evidence showed Fisher took no sadistic pleasure in violent attacks on women.· One sensed an almost sadistic pleasure from Braves manager Bobby Cox as he nailed down Game 2.· Hidden among its sunburst symbols was an obscure, sadistic pleasure.
He took sadistic pleasure in humiliating her. sadistic fantasies► see thesaurus at cruel, unkind—sadistically /-kli/ adverb