bloodcurdling

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

/ ˈblʌdˌkɜrd lɪŋ, -ˌkɜr dl ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bloodcurdling ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

arousing terror; horrifying: a bloodcurdling scream.

Nearby words

blood-drop emlets, blood-letting, blood-red, bloodbath, bloodcurdler, bloodcurdling, blooded, bloodfin, bloodflower, bloodguilty, bloodhound

Origin of bloodcurdling

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

Related forms

blood·cur·dling·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for bloodcurdling

Creator Timothy Haskell has a reputation for putting on a bloodcurdling show.
New York City Haunted House Tries Out Serial-Killer Theme|Caitlin Dickson|October 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A few beats later, the most shrill, bloodcurdling scream erupted out of the bathroom.
You Should Meet My Mother|The Daily Beast|May 8, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A bloodcurdling yell brought him to his feet with a sudden leap.
Out of the Depths|Robert Ames Bennet
I have some of the most bloodcurdling horrors preserved for the purpose of showing Hopkins' wonderful and vivid style.
Remarks|Bill Nye

It was the turn of Lieut. Feraud to recoil, with a bloodcurdling grunt of baffled rage.
A Set of Six|Joseph Conrad
Seeing that the coast was clear he took up his seat in the sun and soon was lost in the depth of a bloodcurdling detective story.
The Missing Formula|Mildred A. Wirt, AKA Ann Wirt
He made a discreet and bloodcurdling gesture to me with the other.
Romance|Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

British Dictionary definitions for bloodcurdling

bloodcurdling

/ (ˈblʌdˌkɜːdlɪŋ) /

adjective

terrifying; horrifying

Derived Forms

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

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of bloodcurdling

Related forms

Examples from the Web for bloodcurdling

British Dictionary definitions for bloodcurdling

bloodcurdling

adjective

Derived Forms