carnage
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of carnage
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French, from Italian carnaggio, from Medieval Latin carnāticum “payment or offering in meat,” equivalent to Latin carn- (stem of carō ) “flesh” + -āticum noun sufffix; see -age
Explanation
Carnage is mass murder. If you have seen news footage of a village after a bomb has been detonated, you probably saw a scene of carnage. Carnage comes from the Latin carnaticum, meaning "flesh" or "slaughter of animals." Carnage is often used to describe the brutal killing of many people, but can also refer to large numbers of animals that have been butchered.
Vocabulary lists containing carnage
Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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Persepolis
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Achievement First 7th Grade IA 1 Words
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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.
I watched the carnage from an NYU dorm room, having just moved to the city to start my freshman year of college.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Phil White also spoke of incredibly busy scenes in the airport's baggage reclaim hall, describing it as "carnage" as an influx of disrupted passengers tried to find their luggage.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Even while attending matches at the recent World Cup, where Spain won the title, the actor advocated for an end to the carnage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Breaking down Wednesday’s carnage, Krinsky said the MS Sector-Neutral Momentum Index has seen its worst four-day decline on record at 17.4%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
But then she looked up at the towering beast and found it glaring at the unfolding carnage.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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.
