bloodcurdling

[ bluhd-kurd-ling, -kur-dl-ing ]

/ ˈblʌdˌkɜrd lɪŋ, -ˌkɜr dl ɪŋ /

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See synonyms for bloodcurdling on Thesaurus.com

adjective

arousing terror; horrifying: a bloodcurdling scream.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of bloodcurdling

First recorded in 1930–35; blood + curdle + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM bloodcurdling

blood·cur·dling·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bloodcurdling in a sentence

She says: “It is blood-curdling and shocking and it is becoming his symbolic signature.”
How ISIS Ripped Off ‘Natural Born Killers'|Jamie Dettmer|September 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It exploded, and she let out an “amazingly blood curdling scream.”
A Brief History of Toothpaste Bombs|Brian Ries|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is no more prized scalp” he shrieked—and he invested the word “scalp” with blood-curdling intensity—“than mine!
Joe Walsh Vs. Tammy Duckworth: Yelps, ‘Lies’ and Tough Talk in Illinois House Showdown|Lloyd Grove|November 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
SUBTOTAL: $101.5 million a year THE BOTTOM LINE: The gross vampire product is a blood-curdling $771.5 million annually.
Gross Vampire Product|Duff McDonald|November 18, 2009|DAILY BEAST

“Elizabeth and Richard were absolutely blood-curdling in their performance,” Lehman recorded the following morning.
Liz Taylor's Secret Life|William J. Mann|October 19, 2009|DAILY BEAST
But they were met by the main body of guerrillas and all came charging with blood curdling yells.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Doubtless the captain reported on his arrival home a blood-curdling story of his encounter with pirates off the coast of Cuba.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various
Surely no wilder phantasy, no more outrageous, blood-curdling nightmare ever entered the most disordered brain.
The Devil-Tree of El Dorado|Frank Aubrey
Roused from sound slumbers by blood-curdling Indian war whoops, a few escaped, but only to die of cold on their way to Albany.
The Story of the Thirteen Colonies|H. A. (Hlne Adeline) Guerber
It came quickly, mingled with a blood-curdling yell from a hundred or more savage throats.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham

British Dictionary definitions for bloodcurdling

bloodcurdling

/ (ˈblʌdˌkɜːdlɪŋ) /

adjective

terrifying; horrifying

Derived forms of bloodcurdling

bloodcurdlingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bloodcurdling

Origin of bloodcurdling

OTHER WORDS FROM bloodcurdling

Words related to bloodcurdling

How to use bloodcurdling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bloodcurdling

Derived forms of bloodcurdling