bloodthirsty

adjective

blood·​thirsty ˈbləd-ˌthər-stē How to pronounce bloodthirsty (audio)
: eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, violence, or killing
bloodthirstily adverb
bloodthirstiness noun

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodthirsty was in 1539

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.

Kids Definition

bloodthirsty

adjective
blood·​thirsty ˈbləd-ˌthər-stē How to pronounce bloodthirsty (audio)
: eager to hurt or kill : cruel
bloodthirstily adverb
bloodthirstiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bloodthirsty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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