bad blood
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of bad blood
First recorded in 1815–25
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.
Whitaker said he believed the bad blood was behind the alliance, claiming that "those days are past us".
From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026
The answers may avert any potential bad blood between your mother and her siblings — or could make their blood boil.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
But if the growing schism between the tech industry and the broad public is generating bad blood, it also opens a path to reforms that would have been unthinkable a few months ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
If there was any bad blood between Paxton and Middleton over these clashes, it seems to have dissipated in the years since.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
“If there is bad blood between you and them,” said I, to soften it off a little.
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
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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.