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
Synonyms
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 WebKaren 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
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
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
Phrases Containing bloody
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Cite this Entry
“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloody. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
bloody
adjectiveˈbləd-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
adverb
ˈbləd-ᵊl-ē
bloodiness
noun
ˈbləd-ē-nəs
bloody
verb
More from Merriam-Webster on bloody
Nglish: Translation of bloody for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of bloody for Arabic Speakers
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