carnage

noun

car·​nage ˈkär-nij 

1

: the flesh of slain animals or humans

… a multitude of dogs came to feast on the carnage.

—T. B. Macaulay

2

: great and usually bloody slaughter or injury (as in battle)

the carnage of war

Synonyms of carnage

• massacre
• slaughter

Examples of carnage in a Sentence

Reporters described the highway accident as a scene of carnage.

the appalling carnage in that war-torn country requires that the outside world intervene

Recent Examples on the Web

Dozens of wave riders, bodyboarders and surfers attempted the steep, shallow drop as the peaks formed, some propelling down the building-size waves with expertise, others wiping out to the gasp of spectators who got a front-row seat on the sand to the carnage. —Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 9 June 2026

Despite the carnage, traders aren't backing away from this space. —Tyler Bailey, CNBC, 9 June 2026

War of the Worlds was an obvious and devastating response to the carnage of 9/11, updating the classic novel to a modern-day depiction of a society coming undone in the face of an apocalyptic alien invasion. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

The carnage comes just 24 hours before Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs at MSG, which sits right above Penn Station. —Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Medieval Latin carnaticum tribute consisting of animals or meat, from Latin carn-, caro — see carnal

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

carnage

noun

car·​nage ˈkär-nij 

: great destruction of life (as in battle) : slaughter