cutthroat

/ˈkʌtˌθroʊt/
adjective
  1. Fiercely competitive; willing to hurt others to succeed.
    • They faced cutthroat competition from three other companies.
    • The cutthroat world of fashion design leaves little room for mistakes.
    • Office politics can be cutthroat when everyone wants the promotion.
Antonyms
noun
  1. A person who is ruthless and will do anything to get what they want.
    • The old CEO was a real cutthroat who fired anyone who disagreed with him.
    • She earned a reputation as a cutthroat during the merger negotiations.
    • In that industry, you have to be a cutthroat to survive.
  2. A murderer or violent criminal (old-fashioned use).
    • Pirates were often portrayed as cutthroats in old adventure tales.
    • The story was about a band of cutthroats who terrorized the countryside.
    • The town was warned that a cutthroat was on the loose.
Synonyms
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