Synonyms of bloody

bloody 1 of 2

adjective

ˈblə-dē 

1

as in red

smeared or stained with blood

after the fight, her shirt was all bloody

Synonyms & Similar Words

• red
• reddish
• gory
• bloodstained
• crimson
• ruby
• carmine
• sanguinary
• sanguineous
• bloodred
• incarnadine
• sanguine

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

• murderous
• murdering
• brutal
• savage
• violent
• vicious
• ferocious
• sanguinary
• fierce
• bloodthirsty
• homicidal
• contentious
• cruel
• sanguine
• ruthless
• sanguineous
• bloody-minded
• barbaric
• aggressive
• hostile
• merciless
• sadistic
• barbarous
• hateful
• heartless
• inhumane
• antagonistic
• gory
• bloodstained
• belligerent
• gladiatorial
• pitiless
• combative
• bellicose
• grim
• malicious
• pugnacious
• truculent
• quarrelsome
• discordant
• malignant
• scrappy
• assertive
• spiteful
• wanton
• nasty
• malevolent
• cold-blooded
• fell
• malign
• mean
• despiteful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peaceful
• peaceable
• conciliatory
• pacific
• kind
• sympathetic
• propitiatory
• benign
• warm
• disarming
• humane
• compassionate
• unaggressive
• dovish
• placatory
• unassertive
• placative
• benignant
• appeasing
• merciful
• tender
• mollifying
• lenient
• gentle
• kindhearted
• pacifying
• placating
• tenderhearted
• peacemaking
• amiable
• benevolent
• warmhearted
• clement
• kindly
• amicable
• good-hearted
• affable
• submissive
• yielding
• surrendering

bloody

2 of 2

verb

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

• damage
• mar
• injure
• hurt
• cripple
• compromise
• spoil
• break
• weaken
• harm
• impair
• cross (up)
• disfigure
• flaw
• erode
• destroy
• ruin
• blemish
• wound
• crab
• deface
• undermine
• vitiate
• deteriorate
• shatter
• endamage
• wreck
• wash out
• wear (away)
• batter
• torture
• smash
• scour
• desolate
• blight
• tarnish
• lame
• botch
• demolish
• enervate
• queer
• dent
• enfeeble
• torment
• tear down
• waste
• ding
• gum (up)
• wipe out
• mutilate
• crush
• lacerate
• devastate
• scourge
• total
• maim
• mangle
• dint
• disable
• annihilate
• decimate
• clobber
• hamstring
• bash
• pulverize
• dash
• raze
• bang up
• do in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• patch
• repair
• reconstruct
• fix
• rebuild
• help
• mend
• revamp
• cure
• remedy
• heal
• renovate
• rectify
• rehabilitate
• perfect
• doctor
• better
• revise
• recondition
• improve
• edit
• remodel
• enhance
• refine
• ameliorate
• enrich
• meliorate

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bloody contrast with its synonyms?

The words gory and sanguinary are common synonyms of bloody. While all three words 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

Where would gory be a reasonable alternative to bloody?

In some situations, the words gory and bloody are roughly equivalent. However, gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

When could sanguinary be used to replace bloody?

The meanings of sanguinary and bloody largely overlap; however, sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bloody

Adjective

The previous session marked one of bitcoin’s bloodiest ever, with the token shedding more than 15% on the day. —Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026

The vice president is the daughter of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw bloody anti-drug crackdowns while in office from 2016 to 2022. —Jim Gomez The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 5 Feb. 2026

Verb

The bench went nuts, of course, as Manning — whose lip had been bloodied on an earlier tackle — pointed toward the Texas section seated behind his bench and pounded his chest to its delight. —Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 2 Jan. 2026

In 2024, the stadium hosted the CONMEBOL Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia, which nearly ended in tragedy after a massive wave of fans flooded the venue, leaving fans terrified and bloodied as security guards struggled to contain them. —Hunter Geisel, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025