bad blood

noun

Synonyms of bad bloodnext
: ill feeling : bitterness

Examples of bad blood in a Sentence

There's been a lot of bad blood between them since their quarrel. there's been bad blood between the two families for years
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s a lot of bad blood in the Senate these days, but there’s reason to believe the quartet can break through. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026 Golden State coach Steve Kerr said there is no bad blood between the two parties. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026 That made Friday afternoon’s summary judgment hearing the first public glimpse of bad blood between Dallas’ NBA and NHL franchises, with their respective attorneys trading verbal blows for a little more than two hours in Texas Business Court. Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026 Set in a landscape stained by red clay and bad blood, villainy is commonplace. Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bad blood

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bad blood was in 1664

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bad blood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bad%20blood. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster