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.
The S&P 500 has been in holding pattern for two months now, its progress stalled by bond-market carnage and its technicals undermined by the narrow breadth of stocks keeping up the index.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Newcomer Donald started the carnage, ramping Dushmantha Chameera's first ball over the ropes, before Buttler joined the party and Brook then launched three of his own into the stands.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
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
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
The Germans, appalled by the carnage, held their fire as the surviving British troops turned and retreated.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
