blood sport

American  

noun

1. any sport involving killing or the shedding of blood, as bullfighting, cockfighting, or hunting.

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blood sport British  

noun

1. any sport involving the killing of an animal, esp hunting

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Etymology

Origin of blood sport

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

I, and many other young fans, had little interest in boxing, Mike Tyson or, really, any sort of blood sport.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

"It's a blood sport, people do have a blood thirst to watch this sport," Malignaggi says.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

The Roy family has made a blood sport out of criticizing each other, and Roman certainly gets his barbs in.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2023

Still, these gladiator games in the cultural arena are a tacit validation of the destructive belief that culture is a blood sport.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2023

Everything about the Bronx was different from downtown Manhattan, more intense and potent; even the name of the street we walked down—Gun Hill Road—suggested blood sport.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore