noun
Etymology
Origin of bloodshed
Explanation
Use the word bloodshed to mean people being killed or wounded, especially during a war. A strong dislike of bloodshed might keep a person from joining the military. You can use the noun bloodshed to talk about any kind of violence: "My mom never let me play those video games when I was growing up, because of all the bloodshed." It's most commonly used to refer to the major side effect of war, the death and injury of many humans. Bloodshed dates from the 1500s, meaning "the shedding of one's blood" or "slaughter."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They “avoided unnecessary risks, limited bloodshed, and encouraged loyal inhabitants.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
It’s not gritty and harsh, but rather stunning and lovely — an eerie contrast to the terror and bloodshed of the day itself.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
This fitted in with the era of liberal interventionism that the UK had backed from the 1990s under Tony Blair, intervening in the Balkans to prevent bloodshed in Kosovo.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
What he didn’t mention: Most territorial expansion in the age of empires was achieved through bloodshed, not purchase.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026
For a while, there was not as much bloodshed between the English and the natives, and the two groups shared the land together.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
