murderous

USAGE SUMMARY

'murderous' is correct and usable in written English.
It is an adjective which describes something very cruel, violent or deliberate. Example sentence: The government's murderous policies led to the loss of many innocent lives.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

7 February: Britain and the US recall their ambassadors to Damascus in protest at the Assad regime's "murderous" behaviour towards its own civilians.

The Guardian

But if there is a hub, a clearing house for the complex, cynical and murderous business of trafficking migrants, then it is a place where the state is defunct and society disenchanted, where the border guards are biddable for $400, where the beaches are broad and where the sea lapping the shore stretches north to another far more promising coastline.

The Guardian

The East End shoot-out at the end of The Man Who Knew Too Much inevitably recalls the Sidney Street siege, and memories of murderous continental anarchists; here Lorre was an émigré actor touching on the nation's darkest fantasies of an immigrant intrusion.

The Guardian - Film

The latter is a delirious surrealist fantasy involving a murderous child, a dreamy girl who might be his mother, a pirate who keeps her prisoner on a rocky island, incestuous relationships, a castration and a rape.

The Guardian - Film

It is surely possible to recognise achievements without celebrating this murderous era.

The Guardian - Opinion

In the warped thinking of the profoundly Catholic yet murderous generals who ruled Argentina then, it would have been unchristian to kill an innocent, unborn child by executing the expectant mother.

The Guardian

Earlier on Saturday, federal justice minister Peter MacKay said: "This appeared to be a group of murderous misfits that were coming here, or were living here, and prepared to wreak havoc and mayhem on our community.

The Guardian

She is far from being cloying or cutesy but, for someone who has spent the past few years carving out a reputation in the French film world for playing damaged and fragile women who can wreak murderous havoc, she is actually, on the surface at least, bouncingly normal.

The Guardian - Film

As a teenager, he'd deliberately scare himself by listening to Eminem's Kim – a song full of fantastically violent, murderous imagery.

The Guardian - Music

In these otherwise murderous and mean-spirited times, that is something to salute.

The Guardian - Opinion

Bruno Bettelheim in his study, The Uses of Enchantment, suggested that folk and fairytales that endure from generation to generation, speak to something deep in the reader's unconscious – for instance, that these older tales legitimised the murderous and violent instincts that all children experience, freeing them from the guilt that such feelings generate.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "murderous", ensure the context clearly indicates an intention to kill or extreme violence to avoid misinterpretation. Consider the emotional impact on your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "murderous" loosely to describe situations that are merely difficult or frustrating. Reserve it for contexts involving actual or threatened violence to maintain its impact and avoid hyperbole.

Linguistic Context

The adjective "murderous" primarily functions to describe something or someone intending to commit murder or characterized by extreme violence. This is supported by Ludwig's examples where it modifies nouns like "behavior", "business", and "generals", emphasizing their violent nature.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

78%

Science

22%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The adjective "murderous" is used to describe something or someone intending to commit murder or marked by extreme violence. As confirmed by Ludwig, its grammatical status is correct, and it appears very commonly in news and media. While its primary contexts are in the news, it's crucial to avoid overuse in non-violent contexts to maintain its intended impact. Consider alternatives like "homicidal" or "lethal" depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Ensure clarity to avoid misinterpretation or insensitivity, as it carries a strong emotional charge.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

homicidal

Indicates a specific inclination or action related to causing human death, similar to "murderous" but often referring to a state of mind.

lethal

Focuses on the capacity to cause death, differing from "murderous" which implies intent or action.

deadly

Highlights the potential for causing death, less focused on intent compared to "murderous".

bloodthirsty

Emphasizes a craving for bloodshed, conveying a more visceral and intense desire for violence than "murderous".

savage

Suggests a brutal and uncontrolled nature, less directly linked to killing than "murderous" but implying extreme violence.

brutal

Highlights the ruthlessness and severity of an action, differing from "murderous" by not always involving death.

ferocious

Describes an extreme intensity and aggressiveness, implying violence but not necessarily resulting in death, unlike "murderous".

extremely difficult

Shifts the meaning to denote something very challenging, an informal usage of "murderous" to describe non-violent situations.

impossible

Represents the furthest extreme on a difficulty scale, more absolute than "murderous" when the latter is used informally.

exceedingly tough

Highlights great difficulty, differing from "murderous" in lacking the violent connotation.

FAQs

How can I use "murderous" in a sentence?

You can use "murderous" to describe intentions, actions, or situations involving extreme violence or a desire to kill. For example, "The tyrant had a "murderous rage"" or "The "murderous plot" was foiled by the police".

What words can I use instead of "murderous"?

Depending on the context, you can use words like "homicidal", "lethal", "deadly", or "bloodthirsty". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "murderous" in a lighthearted context?

While "murderous" is primarily associated with violence, it can be used informally to describe something extremely difficult, but exercise caution. This usage can be perceived as hyperbolic or insensitive if not handled carefully.

What is the difference between "murderous" and "violent"?

"Violent" describes the use of physical force to cause harm, while "murderous" specifically implies an intention to kill. Something can be violent without being murderous, but something murderous is always violent. The term "violent" is broader in scope.