bloodless

[bluhd-lis]

adjective

1. without blood.

   bloodless surgery.

2. very pale.

   a bloodless face.

3. free from bloodshed; accomplished without bloodshed.

   a bloodless victory; a bloodless coup.

4. spiritless; without vigor, zest, or energy.

   a dull, insipid, bloodless young man.

5. without emotion or feeling; cold-hearted.

   bloodless data.

bloodless

/ ˈblʌdlɪs /

adjective

1. without blood

2. conducted without violence (esp in the phrase bloodless revolution )

3. anaemic-looking; pale

4. lacking vitality; lifeless

5. lacking in emotion; cold; unfeeling

Other Word Forms

• bloodlessly adverb
• bloodlessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloodless¹

1175–1225; Middle English blodles, Old English blōdlēas. See blood, -less

Example Sentences

The Incorrigibles jumped back as a tall, slim figure, bloodless and gray as some awful specter from Beyond the Veil emerged from the chimney itself.

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“Margaret, you must do something about my face. To look at me, anyone would think I was a bloodless old crone of twenty-five.”

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At the time, in the space of a short few months, Moscow carried out the relatively bloodless occupation and annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

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Elsewhere in the interview, Buttigieg warned Democrats against using bloodless language.

Read more on Salon

Trump's alleged crimes weren't bloodless "white-collar" matters, either.

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Related Words

• unemotional