Meaning

Of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers..

Definitions by Sense

1. Of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers.
2. Of a person: intending or likely to commit murder; bloodthirsty, homicidal.
3. (often figuratively) Of an object: used to commit murder; capable of causing death; deadly, fatal.
4. (by extension) Very difficult.

Example Sentences

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.

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.

While Harley had been in no way responsible for Pelton's murderous attack upon Yesler, public opinion held him to account.

[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.

murderous behaviour

She gave me a murderous look.

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?

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, […]

Word Forms

• more murderous
• most murderous
• murtherous

Synonyms for murderous

Antonyms for murderous

Related Words

When Should You Use Murderous?

Use murderous when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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