Dictionary

murderous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

/ˈmɜːdəɹəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɝdɹəs/ (General-American)
(Received-Pronunciation) audio
/ˈmɜːdɹəs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈmɝdəɹəs/ (General-American)

Etymology

From murder + -ous (suffix forming adjectives from nouns denoting possession or presence of a quality).

Meanings

Of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers.
- Every time I heard the bell strike, that denotes the time on board a ship, I full of terror counted the hours until four o'clock; feeling sure that when that hour came, my enemies would begin their murderous attack. 1878 October, “A Tussle with Yellow Jack”, in G[eorge] Bampfield, editor, S. Andrew’s Magazine, volume I, number 10, London: Burns & Oates, […], →OCLC, page 1:
- Aſſaſſinat: m. A murther, or murtherous act committed for gaine, or in hope of a revvard; alſo, a ſuddaine aſſault, made of ſet purpoſe, and vvith a murtherous intent, although th' aſſaulted be not killed. 1611, Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Assassinat”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, signature G, recto, column 2:
- [O]ne minute this "Jihadi John" was struggling to get by, and get accepted, in drizzly England, unemployed with a mortgage to pay and a chip on his shoulder, and the next he stands in brilliant Levantine sunlight, where everything is clear and etched, at the vanguard of some Sunni Risorgimento intent on subjecting the world to its murderous brand of Wahhabi Islam. 2014 November 17, Roger Cohen, “The horror! The horror! The trauma of ISIS [print version: International New York Times, 18 November 2014, page 9]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Aug 2017:
- While Harley had been in no way responsible for Pelton's murderous attack upon Yesler, public opinion held him to account. 1909, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 18, in Ridgway of Montana:
Of a person: intending or likely to commit murder; bloodthirsty, homicidal.
- She gave me a murderous look.
- Adam alſo was the High Prieſt, and received Authority from God, to teach the ſucceeding Generations of Men how to worſhip God, and what Sacrifices were to be offered by Cain and Abel, and all Poſterity. By which Sacrifices were brought into all Nations, to apply the Blood of the Lamb, ſlain from the foundation of the World, in the unalterable Purpoſes of God, to the Conſciences of all Men for the Remiſſion of their Sins, and to Excommunicate murderous Cain from the preſence of the Lord, […] 1711, Obedience to Civil Government Clearly Stated: […], London: […] George Strahan, […], →OCLC, page 34:
- Is any man loth to leave his priſon? or to remove his dwelling from cruel enemies? or to ſcape the hands of murderous robbers? Do we take the world indeed for our priſon? our cruel, ſpoyling, murderous foe? and yet we are loth to leave it? 1659, Richard Baxter, “Reproving Our Unwillingness to Die”, in The Saints Everlasting Rest: Or, A Treatise of the Blessed State of the Saints in Their Enjoyment of God in Glory. […], 8th edition, London: […] Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton, […], →OCLC, part IV, section V, page 603:
- De Salez her Husband ſtriving and ſtrugling for life againſt the pangs of death; fear and haſt (contrary to her intent and mind) had ſo made his murtherous wifes hand ſhake and tremble, as ſhe did not ſo fully cut his throat-bole, but he could yet both cry and groan, which he did very mournfully, and which indeed was ſoon over-heard by a man and a maid-ſervant of his, […] 1662, John Reynolds, “History XI”, in The Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the Crying and Execrable Sin of Murther. […] Book III, London: […] A. M. for William Lee, […], →OCLC, page 152:
- murderous behaviour
(figuratively, often) Of an object: used to commit murder; capable of causing death; deadly, fatal.
- In street fighting at close quarters a gun of this kind is very murderous and ought to do a terrible amount of destruction. 1912, George A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter XXI, in The Red Hand of Ulster, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 255:
- The rapid ſquadrons ſwift as thought engage, / And ſeek the hoſtile troops who ſhun their rage, / 'Midſt the thick clouds which ſmoak and duſt afford / With dreadful luſtre gleams the murderous ſword; […] 1782, [Frederick the Great], “Book VI”, in [anonymous], transl., The Art of War; […] Translated from the French of the King of Prussia, 2nd edition, London: […] G. Riley, […], →OCLC, page 56:
- In neceſſary ſelf-defence men have a right to kill their aſſailants. But duelling is unlawful and murderous, a remain of the ancient Gothic barbarity. 1796, John Brown, “Of the Law of Nature”, in A Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion. […], 2nd edition, Edinburgh: […] Murray & Cochrane, →OCLC, book I (Of the Regulating Standard of Religion, Natural and Revealed), page 25:
(broadly) Very difficult.
- conditions were murderous
- a murderous exam

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most murderous	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more murderous	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
murtherous		alternative	lexicographic

Translations (71)

el φονικός (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · fr meurtrier (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · it micidiale (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · it micidiale (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · cs vražedný (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · el φονικός (very difficult) · eo murdema (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · nb morderisk (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ka სასიკვდილო (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · pt homicida (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · bg много труден (very difficult) · ro asasin (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ca assassí (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · yi רצחניש (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ca assassí (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · hi हिंसक (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · de mörderisch (very difficult) · it letale (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · nn mordarisk (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · grc φονικός (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · el δολοφονικός (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ja 殺伐とした (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · hu gyilkos (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · es homicida (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ml കൊലപാതക (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · la internecīvus (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · xcl մարդասպան (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · fi murhanhimoinen (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · ro ucigător (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · nl moordzuchtig (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · es asesino (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sv dödlig (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · yi מערדעריש (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sh ùbojit (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · syc ܩܛܘܠܐ (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · syc ܩܛܘܠܐ (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · hi घातक (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi רציחהדיק (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · sh у̀бојит (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · it mortale (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · nb morderisk (very difficult) · fi murhaava (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi רצחניש (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · ja 殺伐とした (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · grc ἀνδροδάικτος (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi מערדעריש (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · sh у̏битачан (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · nn mordarisk (very difficult) · sv mordisk (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sh ȕbitačan (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · bg убийствен (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · ru крова́вый (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sh ȕbitačan (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi רציחהדיק (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sv mördande (very difficult) · ro ucigaș (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · de mörderisch (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · lv slepkavīgs (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · eo murda (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · it omicidiario (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi מערדערלעך (of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers) · pt assassino (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · it omicida (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sh у̏битачан (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · ar قَتُول (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · enm dedly (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · sa हिंस्र (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · hu gyilkos (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · fr meurtrier (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal) · yi מערדערלעך (used to commit murder; capable of causing death — see also deadly, fatal) · ka სასიკვდილო (likely to commit murder — see also homicidal)

murderous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

Relateds

Synonyms

Translations (71)