Definition of "murderous"
murderous
adjective
comparative more murderous, superlative most murderous
Of, characterized by, or pertaining to murder or murderers.
Quotations
Aſſaſſinat: m. A murther, or murtherous act committed for gaine, or in hope of a reward; alſo, a ſuddaine aſſault, made of ſet purpoſe, and with a murtherous intent, although th' aſſaulted be not killed.
1611, Randle Cotgrave, compiler, “Assassinat”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongves, London: […] Adam Islip, column 2
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, […], page 1
[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 ”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, archived from the original on 25 August 2017
Of a person: intending or likely to commit murder; bloodthirsty, homicidal.
Quotations
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. , 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, […], page 152
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, […], page 34
(often figuratively) Of an object: used to commit murder; capable of causing death; deadly, fatal.
Quotations
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, […], 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, book I (Of the Regulating Standard of Religion, Natural and Revealed), page 25