out-Herod

[ out-her-uh d ]
/ ˌaʊtˈhɛr əd /

verb (used with object)

to outdo in extravagance, violence, or excess: His cruelty out-Herods Herod.

Origin of out-Herod

1595–1605; out- + Herod ( Antipas)

Example sentences from the Web for out-herod

British Dictionary definitions for out-herod

out-Herod

verb

(tr) to surpass in evil, excesses, or cruelty

Word Origin for out-Herod

C17: originally out-Herod Herod, from Shakespeare's Hamlet (act 3, scene 2); see also Herod : portrayed in medieval mystery plays as a ranting tyrant