as in brutality
the desire to kill or to see people killed
warriors inflamed by bloodlust
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 bloodlust
This fuels an insatiable anger and bloodlust in Baldur, who favors a brawling fighting style that blends his immense power with the raw impact of his fists.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
The film’s most unsettling scenes connect Hans' murder spree with the bloodlust of the German public, foreshadowing the Nazis’ rise to power just a few years later.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Related Stories The film follows Alok Goyal, a journalist who transforms into a vampiric creature called Betal after encountering a mysterious woman, and must save humanity from the bloodlust of an ancient evil.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
There is very obviously no excuse for the kinds of posts and commentary Tyler was known for early in his career, but the internet is fueled by bloodlust, not justice.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloodlust
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
The film’s most unsettling scenes connect Hans' murder spree with the bloodlust of the German public, foreshadowing the Nazis’ rise to power just a few years later.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Related Stories The film follows Alok Goyal, a journalist who transforms into a vampiric creature called Betal after encountering a mysterious woman, and must save humanity from the bloodlust of an ancient evil.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
There is very obviously no excuse for the kinds of posts and commentary Tyler was known for early in his career, but the internet is fueled by bloodlust, not justice.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bloodlust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloodlust
Noun
-
Unfortunately, Florida’s leaders seem to have set their sights on any reminder that the state’s historic brutality should still inspire action today.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
-
More than a decade later, Ike Barinholtz is opening up about the Police Academy reboot that was scrapped amid a rise in lethal police brutality.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The findings can’t be extrapolated to the real world — the scenarios were extreme, with the regimes often facing first strikes or annihilation — but revealed AIs’ skill at strategic reasoning, as well as a certain bloodthirstiness.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes the irony turns bitter and, with a typically Eastern European sensibility, highlights the paradoxes of institutions, as well as the madness and meanness born from the pursuit and preservation of power.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
-
After 1965, when African Americans’ right to vote was constitutionally recognized, the meanness continued.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
This savagery can last up to a week before the mature larvae fall to the ground.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
-
While our money would be on The Last Son of Krypton in a main card matchup, Lobo fights dirty with a level of primal savagery that just might put the Big Blue Boy Scout and his cousin down for a few rounds.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Most importantly, Kaiser went on national radio and warned that democracy itself could not survive if America returned to the greed, monopoly and economic cruelty that had scarred the industrial age.—
Tom Debley,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
-
O'Neill was charged with 19 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, two dog housing violations and one misdemeanor for violating bail conditions from his previous charges, according to DPH.—
Marcella Baietto,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Chiarella takes time between bouts of danger to show affection and intimacy that, in defiance of teen-slasher formula, isn’t immediately penalized with sadism.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Here, animals serve as vessels for our worst impulses, suffering at the point where curiosity turns to sadism, domination to cruelty, and self-interest to neglect.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The barbarity of the institution, meanwhile, is self-evident—but rarely does an author present its abuses so powerfully and vividly.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
The Emperor’s battle arena, for example, is a marvel of moody set design, its barbarity brought to life by the throngs of people crowding to watch the action from atop its grated roof.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bloodlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloodlust. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
