Sadist: meaning, definitions and examples

This term is used to describe someone who takes pleasure in causing pain or suffering to others. It is often used in psychological or clinical contexts, as well as in everyday speech to describe extremely cruel behavior.

• He was a sadist, enjoying the torment he inflicted on his victims.
• The villain in the movie was portrayed as a sadist, delighting in others' pain.

This term refers to someone who finds pleasure in experiencing their own pain or humiliation. It is often used in a psychological or clinical sense, but can also appear in casual conversation.

• As a masochist, he found comfort in situations that most people would find painful or stressful.
• In relationships, a masochist may seek out partners who treat them badly.

A tormentor is someone who causes repeated suffering, anxiety, or pain to another person. The term can be used in both physical and psychological contexts.

• During his school years, he had a tormentor who bullied him every day.
• The prisoners were at the mercy of their tormentors, who showed no compassion.

This phrase is used to describe someone who is intentionally harsh, heartless, or unkind. It can apply in a broad range of situations and is more general than 'sadist'.

• She is known as a cruel person, always finding ways to make others feel bad.
• The dictator was a cruel person, showing no mercy to his opponents.

Someone who takes pleasure in causing pain or suffering to others. This term is often used to describe a person who enjoys being cruel or tormenting others.

• The dictator was a sadist, delighting in the misery of his prisoners
• Many described him as a sadist after they discovered how he enjoyed inflicting pain on his pets

A person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable. This term is often used in the context of schoolyard behavior or workplace harassment.

• The schoolyard bully stole lunch money from the other kids every day
• Jane had to deal with a bully at work who kept trying to undermine her confidence

A ruler or person in authority who exercises power in a cruel or oppressive way. This term is often used in historical or political contexts to describe oppressive leaders.

• The ancient king was remembered as a tyrant who showed no mercy to his subjects
• Under the tyrant's rule, people lived in fear of being punished for even the smallest offenses

Someone who is always planning or plotting, often with deceptive or dishonest intentions. This term implies a more calculated approach to achieving one's goals, not necessarily through direct cruelty.

• The office schemer always had a plan to climb the corporate ladder, no matter who got in his way
• He was known as a schemer, constantly devising plots to get ahead