bloodbath

or blood bath

[ bluhd-bath, -bahth ]

noun

, plural blood·baths [bluhd, -ba, th, z, -bah, th, z, -baths, -bahths].

1. a ruthless slaughter of a great number of people; massacre.
2. Informal. a period of disastrous loss or reversal:

   A few mutual funds performed well in the general bloodbath of the stock market.

3. a widespread dismissal or purge, as of employees.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloodbath¹

First recorded in 1865–70; blood + bath ¹

Example Sentences

In the aftermath of a bloodbath, it is hard to have a nuanced discussion.

From Time

A year and a half ago it became the site of a bloodbath when energy-rich Azerbaijan sought a violent solution to the century-old conflict over who controls the region.

From Time

It might not seem worthwhile to turn these hearings into a partisan bloodbath — after all, Jackson’s nomination won’t shift the ideological balance of the court, which will retain a 6-3 conservative majority.

From FiveThirtyEight

India’s travel and tourism industry may be heading for a bloodbath as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.

From Quartz

When Arab Spring-style protests take shape in the capital's main plaza, Jamal orders up a "bloodbath."

From The Daily Beast

Attention Democrats: Unless you start getting angry, the midterm elections are going to be a bloodbath.

From The Daily Beast

Teen crime actually dropped dramatically during the years some social scientists were predicting a “bloodbath of violence.”

From The Daily Beast

He produced and stars as Michael Alig in Clubland, a stage musical adaptation of Disco Bloodbath.

From The Daily Beast

Indeed, his exit would be made easier if Alawites felt more assured that a bloodbath did not await them.

From The Daily Beast

Gustavus Vasa was a young fellow there, who dexterously escaped this Bloodbath, and afterwards came to something.

From Project Gutenberg

Shallow programming dominates as long as the bloodbath proceeds.

From Project Gutenberg

Jake rumbled, "There's going to be a bloodbath there before it's over."

From Project Gutenberg

But that it will be achieved through progressive taxation rather than through a bloodbath is not a foregone conclusion.

From Project Gutenberg

This first European bloodbath provoked all of Albania's neighbours into an uncontrolled binge of invasions.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• carnage
• purge
• slaughter