adj

cutthroat

KUHTTH-roht

Cutthroat (adj) means Ruthlessly competitive, with no regard for fairness or the interests of others. Example: “The airline industry is known for its cutthroat pricing wars.”

adj

Ruthlessly competitive, with no regard for fairness or the interests of others.

"The airline industry is known for its cutthroat pricing wars."

"She thrived in the cutthroat world of corporate law."

Describing a variant of a card or board game where each player competes individually rather than in teams.

"They played cutthroat bridge, with no partnerships allowed."

How to use cutthroat

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishExtremely, ruthlessly competitive — used for business, sport, or any situation where people fight hard to win at others' expense.

Common pairings

cutthroat competition cutthroat business cutthroat game

Word forms

more cutthroat comparative, most cutthroat superlative

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The airline industry is known for its _____ pricing wars.

Etymology

A compound of cut and throat, originally describing someone literally willing to slit a throat — a murderer or assassin — before it softened into today's figurative sense of ruthless competition.

Rhymes for cutthroat

oat boat coat goat moat float bloat gloat groat throat afloat tugboat

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Frequently asked questions

What does “cutthroat” mean?

The word “cutthroat” means ruthlessly competitive, with no regard for fairness or the interests of others. In plain terms, extremely, ruthlessly competitive — used for business, sport, or any situation where people fight hard to win at others' expense.

How do you pronounce “cutthroat”?

“Cutthroat” is pronounced KUHTTH-roht (/ˈkʌtθɹoʊt/ in IPA).

How do you use “cutthroat” in a sentence?

Here is “cutthroat” used in a sentence: “The airline industry is known for its cutthroat pricing wars.”

What part of speech is “cutthroat”?

“Cutthroat” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “cutthroat” have?

“Cutthroat” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: ruthlessly competitive, with no regard for fairness or the interests of others.