carnage

[kahr-nij]

noun

1. the slaughter of a great number of people, as in battle; butchery; massacre.

2. fighting or other violence.

   brutal carnage on the football field.

3. great damage, utter defeat, or chaos.

   We are charting a way forward after the Election Day carnage.

4. Archaic.,  dead bodies, as of those slain in battle.

carnage

/ ˈkɑːnɪdʒ /

noun

1. extensive slaughter, esp of human beings in battle

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnage¹

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; -age

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnage¹

C16: from French, from Italian carnaggio, from Medieval Latin carnāticum, from Latin carō flesh

Example Sentences

Should a decline occur, they become captivated by the carnage and believe a bigger decline is coming.

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The sun comes up and cameras show the carnage.

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They have all invested a large amount of time and effort in stopping the carnage in Gaza and they all have something to lose if their efforts fail.

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"The distress and carnage caused was unreal," said Mr Griffiths of the incident on 15 October.

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The massive rallies turned out to be peaceful – a carnival, not carnage.

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Related Words

• bloodshed 
• butchery 
• crime 
• havoc 
• killing 
• mass murder 
• slaughter 
• slaying www.thesaurus.com
• warfare