bloody
Americanadjective
-
stained or covered with blood.
a bloody handkerchief.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
bleeding.
a bloody nose.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
characterized by bloodshed.
bloody battle; a bloody rule.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
inclined to bloodshed; bloodthirsty.
a bloody dictator.
-
of, relating to, or resembling blood; containing or composed of blood.
bloody tissue.
-
Slang. (used as an intensifier).
a bloody shame; a bloody nuisance.
verb (used with object)
-
to stain or smear with blood.
-
to cause to bleed, as by a blow or accident.
to bloody someone's nose.
adverb
adjective
-
covered or stained with blood
-
resembling or composed of blood
-
marked by much killing and bloodshed
a bloody war
-
cruel or murderous
a bloody tyrant
-
of a deep red colour; blood-red
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have bloodiedperfect
-
has bloodiedperfect 3rd person singular
-
am bloodyingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is bloodyingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are bloodyingprogressive
-
have been bloodyingperfect progressive
-
has been bloodyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
bloodiessingular 3rd person
-
bloodyingparticiple
Past
-
had bloodiedperfect
-
was bloodyingprogressive singular
-
had been bloodyingperfect progressive
-
bloodiedsimple
-
were bloodyingprogressive plural
-
bloodiedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of bloody
before 1000; Middle English blody, Old English blōdig. See blood, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's bloody is stained or covered with blood, like a bloody nose. In British slang, bloody means something like “very.” That’s bloody brilliant! Things that are literally bloody have blood on them or are made of blood. Figuratively bloody things, on the other hand, only imply blood — a bloody coup, for example, is a government overthrow that involves some amount of violence. To bloody something is to cover it in blood: "I will bloody your nose if you say that again!" It comes from the Old English blodig, from blod, or "blood."
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.
South Korea's president was among those who criticised the campaign, saying it "insults the victims and the bloody struggle" of the residents of the southern city of Gwangju.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Zelensky said they included troops who fought in the bloody battle for Mariupol's steelworks Azovtsal and those who defended Chernobyl, which briefly fell to Moscow at the start of its invasion.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Instead, he delivers his hair-raising message—that we’re staring at “a humiliating and bloody defeat” if we go to war with China—in a jaunty, clever and sometimes breathless book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The restaurant also serves a toddler-approved Dutch baby and a parent-approved bloody Mary, she adds.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
“The door was ajar, so I didn’t think you had anyone—” He looks back at me, and I see him take in the bloody clothes, the icepack—all of it.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Definitions 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.
