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
David Wild5
: bloodred
6
British, informal + sometimes offensive
: damned
—often used as an intensive
acting like a bloody fool
British, informal + sometimes offensive
—used as an intensive
a bloody awful mistake
had a bloody good time
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
Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Drinks feel just as grown-up, shifting away from sweet sips like sodas (a 2025 staple) and sugary mixed drinks toward options like sparkling water with citrus, martinis (with an olive or onion, of course), savory cocktails, and bloody Marys or Caesars.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
LaForte hit the man in the face with a bottle, bloodying his nose, and the Gambino duo flipped the table, sending drinks and broken glass flying, according to court filings.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloody
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Adjective
Tensions high since Tehran’s bloody crackdown on protests DUBAI -- Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States will take place Friday in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister said, as tensions between the countries remain high after Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month.
—Jon Gambrell The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026
Drinks feel just as grown-up, shifting away from sweet sips like sodas (a 2025 staple) and sugary mixed drinks toward options like sparkling water with citrus, martinis (with an olive or onion, of course), savory cocktails, and bloody Marys or Caesars.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 12 rebounds while playing with a bandage over his right eye after he was bloodied in a head-to-head collision in the first quarter.
—CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
LaForte hit the man in the face with a bottle, bloodying his nose, and the Gambino duo flipped the table, sending drinks and broken glass flying, according to court filings.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bloody
Cite this Entry
“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloody. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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