bloody 1 of 2

Definition of bloodynext

bloody

2 of 2

verb

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

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

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
Adjective
Salmonella in pets, as in humans, can lead to diarrhea, which can get bloody, vomiting, fever and stomachaches. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2026 The title fight was a brief and bloody affair that left the crowd buzzing. Luke Burbank, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
Verb
The steady stream of litigation has kept Paxton in the headlines in Texas, as Cornyn and his allies have spent heavily to try to bloody his image among Republican primary voters. Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2026 The steady stream of litigation has kept Paxton in the headlines as Cornyn and his allies have spent heavily to try to bloody his image among Republican primary voters. ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bloody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloody
Adjective
  • The miniature version of Kelly is wearing the 2025 England Lionesses kit (designed by Nike, the home shirt features a red and blue ombre stripe across the chest and is paired with blue shorts with red and white stripes on the side, knee high socks and soccer shoes).
    Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
  • About the size of a football, the fire engine-red sirens look like a clunky, portable speaker.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • And Iran no longer being led by a theocratic, murderous dictator, that makes America much, much safer.
    CBS News, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
  • The Iranian regime is a brutal and murderous dictatorship.
    Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In Iran, multiple rounds of explosions were reported in Tehran, while patients were evacuated from a hospital in the north of the city on Sunday after it was badly damaged, according to Iranian state media.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 2 Mar. 2026
  • As a bonus, those seasons are ideal for planting a replacement shrub or re-establishing a lawn if it is damaged during the shrub removal.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Anyone willing to be up for the early-morning event witnessed the moon’s deep reddish-orange glow as the Earth passed directly between the sun and moon, casting a gigantic shadow across the moon’s surface.
    Laura A. Oda, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026
  • On March 3, 2026, the full Worm Moon will slip into Earth’s shadow and turn a strange copper-reddish color for 58 minutes.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The victory, the joy, and the entrance to the elite doorway were all marred within hours.
    Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • But even her first edition was marred with political turmoil in Germany with the rise of the far right, as well as pressures for the Berlinale to pick a side in the Gaza-Israel conflict.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The horror film serves as a gory allegory for the evils that persisted in the South in the Jim Crow era in the late 19th century and onward.
    Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Distracting from the void at its core are the extremely gory kills, splashed with pixelized blood and guts that are indeed successful in making an audience squirm.
    Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Two boys, ages 12 and 13, were charged by a grand jury this week as adults in the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl in the garden area of a Miami apartment complex over the summer.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, and SZA have all condemned the use of their music in propaganda videos tied to the government’s brutal immigration crackdown.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Reaves injured his arm late in the fourth quarter after stripping the basketball away from Williamson.
    Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
  • Over the course of just one minute, the gunman sailed down the city’s bustling Sixth Street and then exited his car, firing off even more bullets, ultimately killing three people and injuring 13 others before he was fatally shot by police.
    Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.

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