gory

adjective

ˈgȯr-ē 

gorier; goriest

1

: covered with gore : bloodstained

2

: bloodcurdling, sensational

wanted to hear the gory details

Synonyms of gory

• bloody
• red

Choose the Right Synonym for gory

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 gory in a Sentence

doesn't watch too many movies that feature gory violence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its gory, high-impact action and horror elements create a thrilling experience. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026

Created by The Late Show veteran Cullen Crawford, Strip Law focuses on Lincoln Gumb (Adam Scott), son of a Las Vegas legal legend who was somewhat recently killed in what was apparently a gory mishap. —Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026

Rogers has one of his favorite scenes with Malcolm McDowell, where the Slasher unleashes a gory massacre with his axe during an orgy at the Maryland mansion of a wealthy Satanist (McDowell). —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026

The famous scene where Rosemary finally meets her baby in Roman Polanski’s occult chiller becomes a gory feature-length folk tale in Hanna Bergholm’s follow-up to the vastly more surrealist body horror Hatching. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gory

• gory details
• in gory detail

Rhymes for gory

• corrie
• corry
• cory
• dory
• flory
• glory
• hoary
• horry
• kauri
• lori
• lorry
• lory

Kids Definition

gory

adjective

ˈgō(ə)r-ē 

ˈgȯ(ə)r-

gorier; goriest

1

: covered with gore : bloodstained

2

: bloodcurdling