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 Malheur standoff also drew in the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team, which Northern California sheriffs credited for talking down the Henrichsens and ending last month’s kidnapping without bloodshed. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026

There is plenty of bloodshed and adrenaline, but those action scenes serve mostly as retribution and to tie up loose plot points. — Whitney Friedlander, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

Motoki portrays Murashige as curiously recessive — someone who has laid waste to myriad foes and has now lost his taste for bloodshed. — Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026

Even in 2026, the category’s identity is anchored in infamous scenes of maiming, torture, and cathartic bloodshed. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 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