carnage

noun

car·​nage ˈkär-nij 

1

: the flesh of slain animals or humans

… a multitude of dogs came to feast on the carnage.

—T. B. Macaulay

2

: great and usually bloody slaughter or injury (as in battle)

the carnage of war

Synonyms of carnage

• massacre
• slaughter

Examples of carnage in a Sentence

Reporters described the highway accident as a scene of carnage.

the appalling carnage in that war-torn country requires that the outside world intervene

Recent Examples on the Web

That everyone commits so fearlessly — and with such straight faces — to the Zellners’ berserk world-building is a joy to behold, aided by a terrific jukebox soundtrack and a chaotic, entropic plot that builds and builds to insane levels of carnage. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026

Most notably, the infamous Circa Survivor saw nearly one-third of its record 25,017 entries (at $1,000 each) bounced by the Bolts — and by the way, include me in the carnage. — Doug Kezirian, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Garfield, sensitive and earthy, is our bellwether as the events descend into bloody carnage dictated by muddled agendas. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

The magnitude of the human carnage and physical destruction was overwhelming. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Medieval Latin carnaticum tribute consisting of animals or meat, from Latin carn-, caro — see carnal

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

carnage

noun

car·​nage ˈkär-nij 

: great destruction of life (as in battle) : slaughter