Definition
n. a person who enjoys hurting others or making them suffer. You use it for someone who seems to like seeing other people in pain.
n. a person who derives pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others. Originally associated with sexual gratification, now commonly used for any enjoyment of cruelty.
Examples
“He acts like a sadist when he teases his brother.”
“Her new boss is a sadist who assigns extra work on Friday afternoons.”
“The novel portrays the warden not as a simple sadist but as a bureaucrat whose indifference to suffering proves more chilling than cruelty.”
Examples
simple
“He acts like a sadist when he teases his brother.”
contextual
“Her new boss is a sadist who assigns extra work on Friday afternoons.”
complex
“The novel portrays the warden not as a simple sadist but as a bureaucrat whose indifference to suffering proves more chilling than cruelty.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sadist” in context.
Verb
01. confront sadist
“She finally found the courage to confront the sadist.”
verb + noun
02. expose sadist
“The investigation exposed him as a sadist who abused prisoners.”
verb + noun
03. label sadist
“His classmates labelled him a sadist for hurting animals.”
verb + noun
04. sadist enjoys
“A sadist enjoys watching other people feel afraid or helpless.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. complete sadist
“Only a complete sadist would laugh at someone else's injury.”
adj + noun
06. cruel sadist
“His old boss was a cruel sadist who enjoyed humiliating staff.”
adj + noun
07. heartless sadist
“You have to be a heartless sadist to enjoy seeing them cry.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. mind of sadist
“Only the twisted mind of a sadist could invent such punishment.”
noun + prep + noun
09. a complete and utter sadist
“He enjoyed their tears; he was a complete and utter sadist.”
10. accused of being a sadist
“The coach was accused of being a sadist for overtraining injured players.”
11. behave like a sadist
“Stop behaving like a sadist and apologise for hurting him.”
12. married to a sadist
“She felt trapped, as if she were married to a sadist.”
Etymology
From the name of the Marquis de Sade; see sadism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/sadist
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0