sadistic
adj. C1 Advanced US //səˈdɪstɪk// UK //sɐdˈɪstɪk// sadis·tic
adj. getting pleasure or enjoyment from hurting other people or seeing them suffer.
adj. deriving pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.
The villain in the movie has a sadistic personality.
The prison guards were accused of sadistic behavior toward the inmates during the night shift.
Psychologists distinguish between instrumental aggression used to achieve a goal and purely sadistic acts where the primary motivation is the enjoyment of another's distress.
From sadist + -ic.
Usage
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'become'.