What does murderous mean?
Murderous is an adjective meaning characterized by violence that is intended to cause death, or by a degree of danger so extreme that death is likely. It is often used to describe attacks, acts of violence, weapons, intentions, and dangerous conditions. The word carries a strong implication of brutality and deliberate or savage harm, rather than merely describing an ordinary hazard. For example, a murderous attack suggests violence of a particularly grave and potentially fatal nature, while murderous intent refers to an intention to kill. In literary writing, murderous can also describe a person or force that seems designed to destroy human life. Its strong emotional force makes it especially appropriate for describing exceptional cruelty, lethal threat, or circumstances in which death is overwhelmingly likely, though it may sound rhetorical or dramatic in formal reports.
adjectiveCharacterized by violence intended to kill, or so dangerous or extreme as to be likely to cause death. It can also describe a person or action marked by a savage or murderous intent.
- Characterized by murder or violence intended to cause death.
- So extreme or dangerous that it may cause death.
"The survivors described the attack as murderous and barbaric."
"The militant group was accused of carrying out a murderous assault on the village."
"The decision to ignore the warning proved murderous when the storm struck the coast."
“Murderous” is more than simply deadly: it evokes an atmosphere of deliberate, savage killing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does murderous come from?
The adjective was formed in English from the noun murder and the suffix -ous, meaning “full of” or “characterized by.” Murder itself entered Middle English through Anglo-Norman French from the Old French mordre, ultimately continuing the Latin verb mordere, “to bite” or “to kill.” The development from a word associated with biting and violent killing to the modern English terms murder and murderous reflects the word’s long association with lethal violence.
Related word forms
How murderous is actually used
The adjective is strongly negative and usually describes an attack, violence, intent, or a situation involving the clear possibility of death. In literary and historical contexts, it can describe a person as bloodthirsty or exceptionally dangerous.