bloodthirsty
adjective
blood·thirsty
ˈbləd-ˌthər-stē 
: eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, violence, or killing
Synonyms
Examples of bloodthirsty in a Sentence
the Goths were a wild and bloodthirsty people
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarandon had previously starred as bloodthirsty antagonistic Jerry Dandridge in the 1985 vampire thriller Fright Night, which Holland wrote and directed.
—
Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
Skin-crawling supernatural scares, bloodthirsty creatures both hilarious and haunting, and scream-worthy horror icons in the making are just the start.
—Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
But all of that ended in a few, horrific hours just over a week ago in a bloodthirsty rampage by Hamas militants through this part of Israel.
—ABC News, 15 Oct. 2023
To arrive at court, the rats faced the twin perils of vindictive villagers and their bloodthirsty cats; his clients needed guarantees of safe passage.
—WIRED, 7 Oct. 2023
Beyond being bloodthirsty and, contrary to its lazy reputation, able to move speedily, Alpha’s skills are endless.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023
At some point through the long eons of history, bed bugs (or Cimex lectularius, as scientists have named them) eventually added us to their diet — bats are commonly pointed to as the creature that exposed humans to the bloodthirsty insect.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Legends and lurid adventure tales of the late 19th and 20th centuries are full of stories of giant bloodthirsty plant life, lying in wait not merely to trap an insect, but to ensnare and snack upon much larger prey — like us.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed the film, and Walter Murch, who edited the soundtrack, undoubtedly intended it to have a critical component, aligning the bloodthirsty Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore with the Wagnerian generals of war movies past.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
See More
Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
Skin-crawling supernatural scares, bloodthirsty creatures both hilarious and haunting, and scream-worthy horror icons in the making are just the start.
—Jen Yamato, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
But all of that ended in a few, horrific hours just over a week ago in a bloodthirsty rampage by Hamas militants through this part of Israel.
—ABC News, 15 Oct. 2023
To arrive at court, the rats faced the twin perils of vindictive villagers and their bloodthirsty cats; his clients needed guarantees of safe passage.
—WIRED, 7 Oct. 2023
Beyond being bloodthirsty and, contrary to its lazy reputation, able to move speedily, Alpha’s skills are endless.
—William Earl, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023
At some point through the long eons of history, bed bugs (or Cimex lectularius, as scientists have named them) eventually added us to their diet — bats are commonly pointed to as the creature that exposed humans to the bloodthirsty insect.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Legends and lurid adventure tales of the late 19th and 20th centuries are full of stories of giant bloodthirsty plant life, lying in wait not merely to trap an insect, but to ensnare and snack upon much larger prey — like us.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Francis Ford Coppola, who directed the film, and Walter Murch, who edited the soundtrack, undoubtedly intended it to have a critical component, aligning the bloodthirsty Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore with the Wagnerian generals of war movies past.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloodthirsty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1539, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near bloodthirsty
Cite this Entry
“Bloodthirsty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodthirsty. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bloodthirsty
adjective
blood·thirsty
ˈbləd-ˌthər-stē
: eager to hurt or kill : cruel
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