bloody
Americanadjective
-
stained or covered with blood.
a bloody handkerchief.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
bleeding.
a bloody nose.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
characterized by bloodshed.
bloody battle; a bloody rule.
- Synonyms:
- gory, sanguinary
-
inclined to bloodshed; bloodthirsty.
a bloody dictator.
-
of, relating to, or resembling blood; containing or composed of blood.
bloody tissue.
-
Slang. (used as an intensifier).
a bloody shame; a bloody nuisance.
verb (used with object)
-
to stain or smear with blood.
-
to cause to bleed, as by a blow or accident.
to bloody someone's nose.
adverb
adjective
-
covered or stained with blood
-
resembling or composed of blood
-
marked by much killing and bloodshed
a bloody war
-
cruel or murderous
a bloody tyrant
-
of a deep red colour; blood-red
adverb
verb
Other Word Forms
- bloodily adverb
- bloodiness noun
- unbloodily adverb
- unbloodiness noun
- unbloody adjective
Etymology
Origin of bloody
before 1000; Middle English blody, Old English blōdig. See blood, -y 1
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.
The restaurant also serves a toddler-approved Dutch baby and a parent-approved bloody Mary, she adds.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
Originally self-published last February, Shy Girl was described in its promotional material as a "buzzy BookTok sensation" and "a harrowing tale of survival and revenge" and well as being "bloody and unapologetic".
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
Kahlo depicts two sides of herself in the masterpiece—one lying bloody on a gurney after a surgery and the other sitting up, triumphant in a red, traditional dress.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
“Forces loyal to the absent Shah of Iran swept iron-willed, weepy old Premier Mohammed Mossadegh out of power today with a bloody nine-hour coup,” the Associated Press wrote Aug. 20, 1953.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
Rishi wasn’t even sure an ice pack was how you treated a bloody nose, but he was enjoying the attention too much to tell her.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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.
