bloodthirsty
Americanadjective
-
murderous; cruel
-
taking pleasure in bloodshed or violence
-
describing or depicting killing and violence; gruesome
a bloodthirsty film
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bloodthirsty
Explanation
Someone who's bloodthirsty is savage and murderous, or is very quick to resort to violence. A bloodthirsty general might launch one attack after another, eager to kill as many enemy soldiers as possible. A bloodthirsty government is one that enthusiastically wages war with other countries and might even be casual about violently suppressing its own citizens. You can also describe a book or a movie this way, if it's full of gratuitous, gory scenes: "What a bloodthirsty zombie film that was last night." The word has been around since the 16th century, possibly influenced by a word with similar imagery in Greek, haimodipsos.
Vocabulary lists containing bloodthirsty
"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Charlotte's Web
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ralph S. Mouse
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The fictional characters of the Maasverse return this week with “A Court of Splintered Harmony,” the sixth book in the blockbuster series that has unspooled labyrinthine tales of pointy-eared faeries and bloodthirsty monsters since 2015.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
And as Madame Defarge , who will become the symbol of the revolution’s bloodthirsty overreach, Duran is splendid; she’s a monster, finally, but layered and human.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
"Everybody thinks we are bloodthirsty and we are going out and killing hundreds of foxes, that is not the case," she added.
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Startling, not because of the writing—which is often repetitive, tediously autobiographical and awash with anticolonial pieties—but because “Slow Poison” is an apologia for Uganda’s Idi Amin, a bloodthirsty tyrant like few others in modern history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2025
The show was not over—their favorite, the old bear, hadn’t appeared yet—but some even of the tough-minded, bloodthirsty Romans had had enough.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
