Criminal Behavior Vocabulary

noun intense desire for bloodshed or violence

• The soldier's bloodlust was evident as he charged into battle without hesitation.
• That horror movie is full of bloodlust - definitely not for the faint-hearted.
• I can't believe how much bloodlust that character has, it's kind of creepy.
• Her competitiveness on the soccer field was like a bloodlust, driving her to always push harder and never give up.

noun a person who is in a state of despair; someone who is in a desperate situation

adjective feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with

• The desperate situation called for immediate action from the authorities.
• She was getting desperate waiting for a response to her job application.
• I'm so desperate for a snack right now, I could eat anything.
• His desperate attempt to win her back only pushed her further away.

adjective describing someone who has malicious or harmful intentions

• The evil-minded individual was always looking for ways to cause harm to others.
• I try to avoid that evil-minded person because they always have bad intentions.
• Stay away from that evil-minded dude, he's nothing but trouble.
• The evil-minded thoughts crept into her mind like dark shadows, tempting her to do wrong.

verb to make or become hard or harder

adjective having become solid or firm; toughened

adverb in a hardened manner

• The metal was hardened through a process of heating and cooling.
• His heart had hardened after years of disappointment.
• She's a hardened criminal, watch out for her.
• His resolve was hardened by the challenges he faced.

noun A person who derives pleasure from observing the intimate or private activities of others.

• The authorities were alerted to the presence of a peeping tom in the neighborhood.
• I think there's a peeping tom lurking around our street.
• That guy is such a creepy peeping tom.
• She felt like a peeping tom, observing the private conversation from afar.

noun a person who takes part in a riot; a person who engages in violent or unlawful behavior in a group setting

• The police were able to identify and arrest the rioter responsible for inciting violence.
• Did you hear about the rioter who got caught looting during the protest?
• That rioter is always causing trouble wherever they go.
• In the chaos of the situation, the rioter symbolized the breakdown of law and order.

noun a person who derives pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliation on others

adjective relating to or characteristic of sadism

• The accused was described as a sadist by the prosecution during the trial.
• I heard that guy is a total sadist, always picking on people for no reason.
• That sadist over there gets a kick out of causing pain to others.
• Some people say that working for a demanding boss is like working for a sadist.

adjective showing a cruel and violent nature; deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on others

• The sadistic nature of the crime shocked the entire community.
• He's always been a bit sadistic, enjoying other people's pain.
• That movie was so sadistic, it made my skin crawl.
• Her sadistic sense of humor often left others feeling uneasy.

noun a criminal who takes items from a shop without paying for them

• The shoplifter was caught red-handed by the store security.
• Did you hear about the shoplifter who got caught stealing from the mall?
• That shoplifter is a real piece of work, always trying to snag stuff.
• The shoplifter of happiness is jealousy, always trying to steal joy from others.

noun a lack of intelligence or understanding

• The professor criticized the student's unintelligence in the research paper.
• She was embarrassed by her own unintelligence during the debate.
• He always acts like he's got some kind of unintelligence superpower.
• The dark cloud of unintelligence seemed to follow him wherever he went.

adjective not worthy of respect; disreputable

• The company decided not to associate with the unrespectable individual.
• I heard he got fired for unrespectable behavior at work.
• She's always hanging out with those unrespectable people.
• His actions painted him in an unrespectable light.

noun a person who deliberately destroys or damages property

• The vandal was caught on camera defacing the public statue.
• I can't believe someone would vandalize the school walls like that.
• Those vandals are always causing trouble in the neighborhood.
• His harsh words were like a vandal, destroying her self-esteem.

noun behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.

• The government is implementing policies to reduce violence in urban areas.
• I can't believe there was a fight at the concert last night, so much violence!
• The movie was so intense, there was non-stop violence throughout.
• The violence of the storm was evident as trees were uprooted and buildings destroyed.

noun a wrongful or illegal act

adjective characterized by or involving wrongdoing

• The investigation revealed evidence of financial wrongdoing within the company.
• I heard rumors of some shady wrongdoing going on at the office.
• They got caught red-handed doing some serious wrongdoing.
• His betrayal felt like a deep emotional wrongdoing.

noun an abnormal or pathological tendency to exaggerate or tell lies

• The patient was diagnosed with mythomania, a condition characterized by compulsive lying.
• I think she might have mythomania because she always tells such outrageous stories.
• Don't believe a word he says, he's got a serious case of mythomania.
• Her mythomania was like a tangled web of deceit that she couldn't escape from.

noun a person who commits bigamy, which is the act of marrying someone while already being legally married to another person

• The man was arrested for being a bigamist, as he was legally married to two different women at the same time.
• I heard that John's uncle is a bigamist, he has two wives and they don't know about each other.
• That guy is a total bigamist, he's got a wife in every city he visits.
• In a metaphorical sense, being a bigamist could refer to someone who is juggling multiple commitments or responsibilities at once.

noun a person who is considered crazy or mentally unstable

• The individual was labeled a wack job due to their erratic behavior in the workplace.
• I can't believe that wack job is causing trouble again.
• That guy is a total wack job, always acting crazy.
• Her idea of painting the sky purple was seen as a bit of a wack job by the rest of the team.

verb A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. In this case, 'acts out' is a verb phrase that indicates the action of performing or portraying something in a dramatic or exaggerated manner.

• The child often acts out in class, disrupting the learning environment for others.
• Whenever he doesn't get his way, he acts out and throws a tantrum.
• She acts out whenever she's feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
• His painting acts out his innermost emotions and struggles.