1
as in red
smeared or stained with blood
after the fight, her shirt was all bloody
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
a bloody battle a bloody movie that is unsuitable for children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to damage
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
the politician's reputation was permanently bloodied by the rumors of corruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bloody
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
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
One group pulled the body of young boy from the rubble, his body limp and his face bloodied.
—Kareem Khadder and Dana Karni, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloody
Adjective
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
Verb
For its makers, that’s where the magic is April 15, 2025
Later, checking the bear traps, however, Yuri encounters a big-eared baby ochi cowering in a hole, its hind leg bloodied.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
One group pulled the body of young boy from the rubble, his body limp and his face bloodied.
—Kareem Khadder and Dana Karni, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloody
Adjective
-
In between walking red carpets and attending charity events together, the pair welcomed two children, daughters Evangeline Ruth and Elijah.—
Ellie Beeck,
Peoplemag,
6 Feb. 2023
-
Music’s biggest night returns to Los Angeles on Sunday, and along with it, one of Hollywood’s grandest red carpets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
The White Lotus star has expressed interest in suiting up to play murderous investment banker Patrick Bateman in the new film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' best-selling satirical horror novel American Psycho.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
3 May 2025
-
That lady is really the aforementioned murderous hag (Meredith Binder), her false veneer of youthful beauty reinforced by a magic mirror’s flattering (if also caustic) topless female spirits, and sustained via grisly methods seemingly inspired by Elizabeth Bathory.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
2 May 2025
Verb
-
The primary severe weather threats for this area are damaging wind gusts and large hail, with an isolated tornado risk mainly for northern Virginia up to New Hampshire.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
3 May 2025
-
Tyler Adams, the distillery's general manager, says Buffalo Trace has weathered storms before, including a campus-wide flood in 1978 and tornado speed winds damaging multiple buildings in 2006.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
3 May 2025
Adjective
-
Body of knowledge Human lips have a reddish color due to high concentrations tiny capillaries just below the skin.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The total lunar eclipse that unveiled a reddish blood moon overnight to nearly half of Earth looked a bit different from the vantage of our celestial neighbor.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Sadly, the price of an alternative school was too high, and she was forced to send her children to public schools marred by gang violence and bullying.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 May 2025
-
Oracle has struggled with a thorny, years-long EHR rollout with the Department of Veterans Affairs, marred by patient safety concerns.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Toward the end of the bleak, gory postapocalyptic tale, players are suddenly flung back to what seems like an impossibly simple time: a winter dance held the night before Part II’s story begins.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Kevin Bacon is showing off one of the goriest — and sexiest — moments from behind the scenes of his latest TV show.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This high school student completed a brutal swim across New Zealand's 13.67-mile Cook Strait 02:16 CNN — Maya Merhige eventually stopped counting her jellyfish stings, such was the frequency with which they were getting scorched against her skin.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Domestic overcapacity and brutal internal competition have already pushed Chinese firms to expand abroad in search of profit margins.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After years of lawsuits and courtroom drama, director Joel Souza (who was also injured in the incident) finished the movie (now in theaters and on demand).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
-
The driver of the pickup truck that was involved was not injured.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share