bloody-minded

American  

[bluhd-ee-mahyn-did] / ˈblʌd iˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

1. disposed to violence or bloodshed; bloodthirsty; sanguinary.

   bloody-minded anarchists.

2. Chiefly British. unreasonably stubborn or cantankerous.

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bloody-minded British  

adjective

1. informal deliberately obstructive and unhelpful

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Other Word Forms

• bloody-mindedly adverb
• bloody-mindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of bloody-minded

First recorded in 1575–85

Example Sentences

The concern is that DHS will oppose Mr. Guan’s claim in a bloody-minded attempt to punish his illegal entry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

"She is valiant, flawed and haughty, as bloody-minded as she is brilliant, scarred by the horrors of war," she said.

From BBC • Aug. 31, 2022

Many people initially suspected that Rittenhouse was drawn to Kenosha by Kevin Mathewson’s Facebook post and the many bloody-minded comment threads trailing behind it.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2021

The bloody-minded Sawtelle council refused to recognize the vote and stubbornly held pointless meetings, until Sawtelle took another vote, in 1922, to confirm the first.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2021

"Now, there's a bloody-minded and dangerous Jesuit for you," said Grasp to himself.

From William Shakespeare as he lived. An Historical Tale by Curling, Henry