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

Origin of bloodcurdling

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

Related formsblood·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 Formsbloodcurdlingly, 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

Examples from the Web for bloodcurdling

bloodcurdling

adjective