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
1
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."
2
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 notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more cutthroat
- Superlative
- most cutthroat
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Synonyms
View more →
bowelless
fierce
Related words
Rhymes for cutthroat
See all rhymes for cutthroat →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.
