gory

adjective

ˈgȯr-ē 

gorier; goriest

1

: covered with gore : bloodstained

2

: bloodcurdling, sensational

wanted to hear the gory details

Synonyms of gory

• bloody
• red

Choose the Right Synonym for gory

bloody, sanguinary, gory mean affected by or involving the shedding of blood.

bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood.

bloody hands

sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

Examples of gory in a Sentence

doesn't watch too many movies that feature gory violence

Recent Examples on the Web

The horror film serves as a gory allegory for the evils that persisted in the South in the Jim Crow era in the late 19th century and onward. —Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026

Distracting from the void at its core are the extremely gory kills, splashed with pixelized blood and guts that are indeed successful in making an audience squirm. —Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026

Its gory, high-impact action and horror elements create a thrilling experience. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026

Created by The Late Show veteran Cullen Crawford, Strip Law focuses on Lincoln Gumb (Adam Scott), son of a Las Vegas legal legend who was somewhat recently killed in what was apparently a gory mishap. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gory

• gory details
• in gory detail

Rhymes for gory

• corrie
• corry
• cory
• dory
• flory
• glory
• hoary
• horry
• kauri
• lori
• lorry
• lory

Kids Definition

gory

adjective

ˈgō(ə)r-ē 

ˈgȯ(ə)r-

gorier; goriest

1

: covered with gore : bloodstained

2

: bloodcurdling