bloody

adjective

\ ˈblə-dē

bloodier; bloodiest

Definition of bloody

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : containing or made up of blood

b : of or contained in the blood

2 : smeared or stained with blood

3a : 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

4a : murderous

b : merciless, cruel

5 : bloodred

6 British, informal + sometimes offensive : damned —often used as an intensive acting like a bloody fool

bloody

verb

bloodied; bloodying

Definition of bloody (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to make bloody or bloodred a punch that bloodied his nose

2 : harm, damage an administration bloodied by scandal

bloody

adverb

Definition of bloody (Entry 3 of 3)

British, informal + sometimes offensive

—used as an intensive a bloody awful mistakehad a bloody good time

Other Words from bloody Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about bloody

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Choose the Right Synonym for bloody

Adjective

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, "Bus driver screams 'Officer down!' into radio of injured cop," 19 July 2017 Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted. — Jonece Starr Dunigan, AL.com, "Man accuses Rainbow City police of brutality; police refute," 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, "Woman admits to dropping baby to death in Uptown, gets probation," 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, "China Demands India Leave Himalayan Plateau in Rising Spat," 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, "Five Augmented Reality Experiences That Bring Museum Exhibits to Life," 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, "2018 Morgan 4/4," 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, "No One Emerges from Trump’s Feud with the Media Looking Good," 5 July 2017 His next memory was waking up on the floor with a bloody nose and painful headache. — Michael Osipoff, Post-Tribune, "RailCats release former Portage star after criminal charges filed," 3 July 2017

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

On Monday, Antifa activists in Portland, Ore., bloodied another journalist, and numerous mainstream-media platforms refused to condemn the violence. — Sahil Handa, National Review, "What Conservatives Get Wrong about the Campus Wars," 4 July 2019 In imagery released by the LNA shortly after the incident, Sponaugle is seen bloodied and receiving medical treatment from LNA forces. — Missy Ryan, Washington Post, "U.S. Air Force veteran accused as mercenary in Libya’s civil war is freed," 26 June 2019 On June 10, another fan was bloodied and taken to a hospital after being hit by a foul ball off the bat of Eloy Jimenez. — Alaa Abdeldaiem, SI.com, "White Sox to Extend Protective Netting at Guaranteed Rate Field," 18 June 2019 San Diego sports fans, bloodied and battered, can relate. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, "San Diego Legion fall shy of Major League Rugby championship," 17 June 2019 Another son was pulled out hours later, bloodied but alive. — Fox News, "Syria uses familiar tactic in rebel Idlib: Bombing civilians," 7 June 2019 Scherzer suffered the injury after attempting to bunt during pitcher's batting practice when a baseball deflected off his bat and struck him in the face, leaving him bloodied. — Alaa Abdeldaiem, SI.com, "Report: Max Scherzer Broke Nose While Bunting During Batting Practice," 18 June 2019 Even flight attendants aren’t immune to this stress — as was the case in 2017 when a man who refused to vacate his seat on a United Airlines flight was violently dragged down the plane aisle, bloodying his face. — Aditi Shrikant, Vox, "Why there are so many viral confrontations on airplanes," 2 Nov. 2018 Georgia was on a stretcher and unconscious, Lauren was bloodied on the street, and Helen was... nowhere to be found. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "That ‘New Amsterdam’ Finale Crash Was So Intense and People Are Not Okay," 15 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bloody.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.