bloodbath

Or blood bath

[bluhd-bath, -bahth]

noun

plural

bloodbaths 

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

Continuing with the toughness theme, Cronin compared playing Arizona to “World War III,” “a bloodbath” and a fight that would let his players know how they measure up against another heavyweight team.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Kids are dying, and the audience has paid money to see a bloodbath. Maybe people can leave with a sense of ‘Are we part of it?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Their epitaph was the greatest bloodbath in American history.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But this season, the sport’s deepest and most demanding league has turned into a complete bloodbath.

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If a deal with China isn’t reached soon, Hill said, the soybean market “might be a bloodbath.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• carnage 
• purge 
• slaughter