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Synonyms

bloodthirsty

American  
[bluhd-thur-stee] / ˈblʌdˌθɜr sti /

adjective

  1. eager to shed blood; murderous.

    to capture a bloodthirsty criminal.
    Synonyms:
    pitiless, merciless, bloody, brutal, savage, homicidal

  2. enjoying or encouraging bloodshed or violence, especially as a spectator or clamorous partisan.

    the bloodthirsty urgings of the fight fans.
bloodthirsty British  
/ ˈblʌdˌθɜːstɪ /

adjective

  1. murderous; cruel

  2. taking pleasure in bloodshed or violence

  3. describing or depicting killing and violence; gruesome

    a bloodthirsty film
"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

Other Word Forms

  • bloodthirstily adverb
  • bloodthirstiness noun

Etymology

Origin of bloodthirsty

First recorded in 1525–35; blood + thirsty

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.

Children ages 5-8 will need to look elsewhere to read about bloodthirsty old favorites such as the T. rex.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

That adds extra freight to his reminder that Katrina’s tragedy was entirely manmade — a whirlpool of failed levees, systems and common bloodthirsty inhumanity.

From Salon • Jul. 25, 2025

It left some viewers perplexed, as they questioned what a bloodthirsty plant had to do with Christmas.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024

A rare exception was 1960’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” which starred a bloodthirsty plant that feasted on humans and featured Nicholson in a small but memorable role as a pain-loving dental patient.

From Seattle Times • May 11, 2024

My costume would be her horrible wig-hair and a purse full of fruits and matches, and honey packets, and a general demeanor of bloodthirsty competition.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

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.