bloody

1 of 3

adjective

ˈblə-dē 

bloodier; bloodiest

1

a

: containing or made up of blood

b

: of or contained in the blood

2

: smeared or stained with blood

3

a

: accompanied by or involving bloodshed

especially : marked by great slaughter

a bloody battle

b

: marked by fierce conflict

In the end the litigation proved exhaustive and bloody but successful.

—David Wild

4

a

: murderous

b

: merciless, cruel

5

: bloodred

6

British, informal + sometimes offensive : damned

—often used as an intensive

acting like a bloody fool

bloodily

ˈblə-də-lē 

adverb

bloodiness

ˈblə-dē-nəs 

noun

bloody

2 of 3

verb

bloodied; bloodying

transitive verb

1

: to make bloody or bloodred

a punch that bloodied his nose

2

: harm, damage

an administration bloodied by scandal

bloody

3 of 3

adverb

British, informal + sometimes offensive

—used as an intensive

a bloody awful mistake

had a bloody good time

Synonyms

Adjective

• red
• reddish
• gory
• bloodstained
• crimson

Verb

• damage
• mar
• injure
• hurt
• cripple
• compromise
• spoil
• break

Choose the Right Synonym for bloody

bloody, sanguinary, gory mean affected by or involving the shedding of blood.

bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood.

bloody hands

sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

Examples of bloody in a Sentence

Adjective

He hit me and gave me a bloody nose.

after the fight, her shirt was all bloody

Verb

He hit me and bloodied my nose.

the politician's reputation was permanently bloodied by the rumors of corruption

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt. —Karen Kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, 19 July 2017

Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted. —Jonece Starr Dunigan, AL.com, 14 July 2017

Verb

Iran quickly retaliated, setting off six days of exchanges that has left Iran and Israel bloodied. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

Trump’s ear was bloodied last year by a would-be assassin’s bullet in Pennsylvania. —Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 16 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1681, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bloody

• beat them to a (bloody) pulp
• bloody hell
• bloody-minded
• bloody murder
• bloody shirt
• bloody well
• not bloody likely!
• scream bloody murder
• the bloody hell

Rhymes for bloody

• buddy
• cuddy
• muddy
• ruddy
• scudi
• study
• restudy
• understudy

Kids Definition

bloody

adjective

ˈbləd-ē

bloodier; bloodiest

1

a

: containing, smeared, or stained with blood

a bloody handkerchief

b

: dripping blood

a bloody nose

2

: causing or accompanied by bloodshed

a bloody battle

3

: bloodthirsty, murderous

a bloody deed

bloodily

ˈbləd-ᵊl-ē

adverb

bloodiness

ˈbləd-ē-nəs

noun

bloody verb

Medical Definition

bloody

adjective

ˈbləd-ē 

bloodier; bloodiest

1

a

: containing or made up of blood

b

: of or contained in the blood

2

a

: smeared or stained with blood

b

: dripping blood : bleeding

a bloody nose

bloodily

ˈbləd-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

bloodiness

ˈbləd-ē-nəs 

noun