bloodshot
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of bloodshot
1545–55; apocopated variant of blood-shotten. See blood, shotten
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.
"Emotions take a back seat," he said, his eyes bloodshot after having worked with his colleagues throughout the night.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
Locals loved the story about the one-eyed New York man who had a special bloodshot glass eyeball made, so that when he came to L.A. on business, his fake eye matched his real one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026
Shwe Gy Thun Phyo, 14, has suffered from a brain injury, and has bloodshot eyes.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025
When he briefly opened his eyes, they were bloodshot, the deputy wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
When he looked up, I could see that his eyes were kind of bloodshot and his whiskers hadn’t been shaved since the day before.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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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.