bloodless

American  

[bluhd-lis] / ˈblʌd lɪs /

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.

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bloodless British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• bloodlessly adverb
• bloodlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of bloodless

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

Example Sentences

But Ruskin’s wan, emotionless screenplay — shockingly bloodless for a movie about more than a dozen murders — fails to give the character a single believable relationship.

From New York Times

But in the nearly four decades since the uprising, poverty, landlessness, stark inequality between the rich and poor, and injustices have remained deeply entrenched and shrouded the nearly bloodless revolt’s legacy.

From Seattle Times

Although tailored to the usual Marvel specifications — apocalyptic stakes, bloodless casualties — this endgame also has a distinctly personal undercurrent that seems to transcend the parameters of this particular story.

From Los Angeles Times

It was a chilling moment in an America where political rancor was escalating but seemed to be a bloodless war of words until Giffords was shot.

From Washington Post

Tunisia, with only 12 million of Africa’s 1.3 billion people, holds outsized symbolism as a nation that designed a democracy from scratch and earned a Nobel Peace Prize after its largely bloodless revolution.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• unemotional