murderous

1 of 2

adjective

mur·der·ous ˈmər-d(ə-)rəs

Synonyms of murderous

: having the purpose or capability of murder

a murderous machine gun

: characterized by or causing murder or bloodshed

a murderous dictator

: having the ability or power to overwhelm : devastating

murderous heat

murderously adverb

murderousness noun

murderousness

2 of 2

noun

mur·der·ous·ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being murderous

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

Adjective 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.

Adjective

Discordant keys fly like daggers while snares trip over bass thuds; there’s a jazzy piano interlude, and then a murderous hard-rock siege razes the mix to the ground. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026 Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. — Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026 Unfortunately for Luca, the camera is inhabited by a demon that forces him to continue a murderous ritual started decades ago by a satanist serial killer (the titular Madison). — Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026 By the third episode, murderous Jason begins to more prominently feature in episodes, and the gory deaths begin, as a swarm of innocent hippies ignore warnings and are drawn into the camp, like lambs to the slaughter. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for murderous

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of murderous was in 1535

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Murderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murderous. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

murderous

adjective

mur·der·ous ˈmərd-(ə-)rəs

: intending or capable of causing murder or bloodshed : deadly

murderous machine-gun fire

: very difficult to bear or withstand

a murderous glance

murderous heat

murderously adverb

murderous

adjective

noun

Synonyms of murderous

Examples of murderous in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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