bloodlust

noun

Definition of bloodlustnext
as in brutality
the desire to kill or to see people killed warriors inflamed by bloodlust

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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 The sisters’ mission involves a dangerous and violent road trip; the fierce Racine outdoes the sensitive Anaia in her bloodlust, and the drama, reminiscent of classical tragedy, resounds with mythopoetic overtones. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 15 May 2026 Jones was prepared for the bloodlust of the rivalry, the physicality required. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2026 Do better, or consider hiring people who paint a vivid enough picture with words rather than having to lean on photographers who seem to have an obscene bloodlust. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026 The Flyers’ bullying and their fans’ bloodlust became synonymous with the building. — Rob Rossi, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bloodlust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloodlust
  1. brutality
  2. murderousness
  3. bloodthirstiness
  4. meanness
  5. savagery
  6. cruelty
  7. sadism
  8. barbarity
Noun
  • Viral videos of the police brutality on Instagram and YouTube swelled the crowds even further and transformed the protest site into a zone of occupation with the energy of a carnival.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Nixon administration played hardball Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon, for example, attacked coverage of police brutality at the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention as one-sided in favor of antiwar protestors.
    — Heather Hendershot, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of brutality
Noun
  • The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of murderousness
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
Definition of bloodthirstiness
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
Definition of meanness
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
Definition of savagery
Noun
  • The novel does not assign cruelty or compassion to any one community.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Investigators later obtained an arrest warrant for Peyton Leon Wyrick on a felony animal cruelty charge.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of cruelty
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
Definition of sadism
Noun
  • The report comes as the RSF lays siege to El Obeid, where analysts say similar barbarity is imminent.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of barbarity

Browse Nearby Words

bloodlines
bloodlust
bloodred
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Cite this Entry

“Bloodlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloodlust. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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