bloodshed

noun

blood·​shed ˈbləd-ˌshed 

1

: the shedding of blood

2

: the taking of life : slaughter

Examples of bloodshed in a Sentence

Years of violence and bloodshed have left much of the country in ruins.

Recent Examples on the Web

The most potent reminder of the bloodshed lies in the thousands of people buried under debris. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 5 July 2026

The Philadelphia Daily News on June 8, 1976 reported that Rizzo was warning of bloodshed in the streets unless the federal and state government provided troops to patrol the city. — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 2 July 2026

And thanks to careful planning by Alicent (Olivia Cooke), the palace welcomes Rhaenyra with only some bloodshed. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026

The country finds itself in cycle after cycle of bloody civil war, intensified by a brutal intramilitary power struggle and exploitative foreign powers like the United Arab Emirates seeking an opportunity to profit from the bloodshed. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bloodshed

• abed
• ahead
• beachhead
• bedspread
• bedstead
• behead
• blackhead
• blockhead
• bowhead
• breastfed
• bridgehead
• broadhead

Kids Definition

bloodshed

noun

blood·​shed -ˌshed 

1

: the shedding of blood

2

: the taking of life : slaughter