bloody

1 of 3

adjective

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
5
6
British, informal + sometimes offensive : damned
often used as an intensive
acting like a bloody fool
bloodily adverb
bloodiness 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
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 A man found the baby bloody but still breathing and asked security at the building to call 911, prosecutors said at the time. Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, 10 July 2017 His comments came after weeks of saber-rattling in New Delhi and Beijing, as officials from both sides talk up a potential clash even bloodier than their 1962 war that left thousands dead. Bloomberg.com, 6 July 2017 For example, at Chester’s Roman Amphitheatre, centurion Marcus Aurelius Nepos tells about England’s bloody combat history at the spot. Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian, 30 June 2017 Collapsing the roof isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing, either—our experience involved about three minutes, two swearing fits, and at least one bloody knuckle. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 30 June 2017 Instead, there’s glee for Trump’s base in watching Trump bring justice to the streets of media Gotham, flinging Batarangs of acerbic nastiness at Mika Brzezinski’s bloody face. Ben Shapiro, National Review, 5 July 2017 His next memory was waking up on the floor with a bloody nose and painful headache. Michael Osipoff, Post-Tribune, 3 July 2017
Verb
Silva battered and bloodied Lee in the first round, showcasing her athleticism and quickness with swift combinations and strong left high kicks. Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023 Children bloodied by razor wire:Along Texas' floating border barrier, migrant children left bloody by razor wire 'A violation of our sovereignty' Installed in July, the buoys are the latest escalation of border security operations in Texas. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023 The family hauled the package, wrapped in layers of fraying plastic and about the size of a microwave, onto Mayor Castor’s boat, bloodied from hours of fishing. Olivia George Tampa Bay Times (tns), al, 8 Aug. 2023 Indeed, the indictment covered much of same ground that played out on live TV, or was unearthed in the House investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection, where violent protesters beat and bloodied police officers, smashed through windows and occupied the Capitol for hours. Colleen Long and Lindsay Whitehurst, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Aug. 2023 Related:Feds sue Texas to remove Rio Grande buoys as Abbott digs in on border ‘invasion’ defense Migrants have become entangled in and bloodied by the razor, prompting a state trooper to raise an alarm with supervisors. Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, 27 July 2023 Houck found himself on the wrong end of a Kyle Higashioka comebacker Friday night, leaving the field bloodied — but under his own power — after a scary sight at Fenway Park. Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2023 There was a large apartment on the main floor, which was occupied by a blond-haired gay man, who came home one night all bloodied and beaten. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Jan. 2022 The fighting is savage and ends with faces bloodied from being hit with broken bottles and slammed against brick walls and concrete streets. Marc Malkin, Variety, 5 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloody.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloody was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bloody

Cite this Entry

“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloody. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

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
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 adverb
bloodiness noun

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