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

• 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

Whether the Ferriers are on foot or in a car, the director choreographs spectacular carnage around them, a visceral cocktail of alien death rays turning their victims to dust, or city infrastructure being demolished with extreme prejudice. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 June 2025

Championship Sunday at Oakmont Country Club was pure carnage but ended with a magical putt from J.J. Spaun. —Savannah Leigh Richardson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025

Witnesses described a chaotic and bloody scene of carnage. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 July 2025

The Alien franchise is beloved by sci-fi and horror fans for its bloodthirsty killer aliens known as xenomorphs, which have caused absolute carnage in six standalone films so far. —Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 July 2025

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