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Synonyms

bloody

American  
[bluhd-ee] / ˈblʌd i /

adjective

bloodier, bloodiest
  1. stained or covered with blood.

    a bloody handkerchief.

    Synonyms:
    gory, sanguinary
  2. bleeding.

    a bloody nose.

    Synonyms:
    gory, sanguinary
  3. characterized by bloodshed.

    bloody battle; a bloody rule.

    Synonyms:
    gory, sanguinary
  4. inclined to bloodshed; bloodthirsty.

    a bloody dictator.

    Synonyms:
    ruthless, inhuman, cruel, ferocious, brutal, savage, homicidal, murderous
  5. of, relating to, or resembling blood; containing or composed of blood.

    bloody tissue.

  6. Slang. (used as an intensifier).

    a bloody shame; a bloody nuisance.


verb (used with object)

bloodied, bloodying
  1. to stain or smear with blood.

  2. to cause to bleed, as by a blow or accident.

    to bloody someone's nose.

adverb

  1. Slang. (used as an intensifier).

    bloody awful; bloody wonderful.

bloody British  
/ ˈblʌdɪ /

adjective

  1. covered or stained with blood

  2. resembling or composed of blood

  3. marked by much killing and bloodshed

    a bloody war

  4. cruel or murderous

    a bloody tyrant

  5. of a deep red colour; blood-red

"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

adverb

  1. slang (intensifier)

    a bloody fool

    bloody fine food

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to stain with blood

"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

  • 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.

During the Civil War the Kansas/Missouri line was extraordinarily bloody.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since Touadera was first elected in 2016 in the middle of a bloody civil war, the CAR has seen unrest ease despite ongoing feuds between armed groups and the government in some regions.

From Barron's

Antony uses the opportunity to skillfully turn the Romans against the assassins, mocking Brutus as “an honorable man,” who had committed “bloody treason.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The east African country is struggling to emerge from decades of conflict and chaos, battling a bloody Islamist insurgency and frequent natural disasters.

From Barron's

"It's a bloody photo op," one woman tells me on Sunday, as a prominent Australian businesswoman arrives and begins posing with the floral tributes at Bondi.

From BBC