sanguinary

adjective

san·​gui·​nary ˈsaŋ-gwə-ˌner-ē 

1

: bloodthirsty, murderous

sanguinary hatred

2

: attended by bloodshed : bloody

this bitter and sanguinary war

—T. H. D. Mahoney

3

: consisting of blood

a sanguinary stream

sanguinarily

ˌsaŋ-gwə-ˈner-ə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• murderous
• bloody
• murdering
• savage
• brutal
• violent

Choose the Right Synonym for sanguinary

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 sanguinary in a Sentence

a movie so sanguinary that I covered my eyes during at least half of it

Recent Examples on the Web

The film, documenting the intense, sanguinary attempt by Ukrainian soldiers to retake a village seized by Russian invaders, won Chernov the directing award for World Cinema Documentary at Sundance. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 July 2025

Mass shootings scarcely register anymore, unless the death toll reaches a certain sanguinary level. —Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024

Michael Modafferi Lawmakers and order Yonkers: How many more innocents will be murdered, mugged and mauled by sanguinary, recidivist thugs and mentally ill individuals, none of whom belong unfettered on the streets of New York City and state, before the left-wing Democrats restore law and order? —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2024

An appeal to force was an admission of failure, and the pride of the new nation was the sense of overcoming the sanguinary reflexes of the old world. —TIME, 31 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin sanguinarius, from sanguin-, sanguis blood

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sanguinary

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

sanguinary

adjective

san·​gui·​nary ˈsaŋ-gwə-ˌner-ē 

1

: willing or eager to cause bloodshed : bloodthirsty

2

: bloody sense 2