to out-Herod
1
9.9
To be more cruel than someone by acting violently
- verb
- /aʊtˈhɛrəd/
- Archaic
:
superar en crueldad
- The ruthless gang leader was known to out-Herod his rivals by committing even more heinous acts.
Examples
-
During the fierce competition, one contestant tried to out-Herod the others by resorting to underhanded tactics.
-
It out-Herods Herod.
-
In his quest for power, the new ruler out-Herod even the most notorious tyrants in history.
Antonyms
How Cruel
to out-Herod
1
9.9
- Archaic
1
9.9
to massacre
49
7.4
- Offensive
49
7.4
to torture
478
5.7
- Offensive
478
5.7
to abuse
238
3.7
- NSFW
238
3.7
to harm
500
1.0
500
1.0
Surface Forms
out-Herod infinitive
out-Heroded past
out-Heroded past participle
out-Heroding present participle
out-Herods third person singular
Etymology
The word out-Herod comes from the name Herod, a king in the Bible known for great cruelty, and the prefix out- meaning 'more than'. So, to out-Herod someone is to be even more cruel or violent than they are.