bloody 1 of 2

adjective

ˈblə-dē How to pronounce bloody (audio)
Definition of bloodynext
1
as in red
smeared or stained with blood after the fight, her shirt was all bloody

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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
Greg and Geoff and James have crafted such a wild script that brings the mystery of the original while exploring new insane bloody ideas that meld so well with the brutal moral compass of the franchise. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 Signs of severe symptoms include bloody diarrhea, fevers over 102 degrees or frequent vomiting that prevents hydration, according to the CDC. — Julia Hawkins, Idaho Statesman, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
The pilot assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, in Miramar, California, is seen with his face bloodied and appearing a little shaken up in the body camera footage released Friday by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. — Jennifer Watts, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 In the TikTok livestream, which has since been taken down, Hilton appears to be bloodied and in a distressed mental state. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bloody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloody
  1. red
  2. murderous
  3. damage
  4. reddish
  5. brutal
  6. mar
  7. gory
  8. savage
Adjective
  • Von Teese first appeared onstage as a character reminiscent of Snow White — replete with perfect black coif, red lips, pristine look and forbidden fruit in hand — but the narrative took a different direction.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Painted with vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow, the mural depicts folklorico dancers in traditional dress.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of red
Adjective
  • The Sparrows’ survival under Nazi questioning depended on the Hungarians handing them over to law-respecting German military officers, rather than the murderous Gestapo.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Fear of the wilderness and its potentially lethal native creatures is hardwired into the human brain and fueled tales of haunted forests and murderous animals throughout history.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of murderous
Verb
  • Depending on the system and target, the heat can damage sensors, electronics, structural components or other critical parts.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Sympathize with those who have been harmed, and who were damaged by that harm.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of damage
Adjective
  • Opening a Bible that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, staff at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2011 discovered a reddish-blond hair pressed between the pages.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Then, after walking for a couple of blocks, directing withering sneers at the policeman’s reddish face, which was as impassive as that of a stone idol, Gleb cooled down and succumbed to boredom.
    — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of reddish
Adjective
  • Thirty-two years after Brown Simpson's brutal killing, her sister continues to alert people to the dangers of intimate partner violence.
    — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Trojans face Washington at the Coliseum before a brutal stretch that includes Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State, with their playoff hopes at stake.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal
Verb
  • But his more impressive follow-up LP, 2022’s River Fools & Mountain Saints, seemed to be marred by its rollout, or lack thereof.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The episode called to mind the hot mic that marred the Toronto Raptors’ postseason news conference in April 2025.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of mar
Adjective
  • Ella Beatty and Vicky Krieps lead the cast of the gory true-crime fantasia.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Zachary Wigon directs, and Maika Monroe stars as Winifred Notty, a governess who tries and fails not to be a complete, well, psycho in this irreverent, gory horror.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of gory
Adjective
  • The Indian pilot who fought off a savage attack by his copilot and helped prevent an apparent hijack of a Flydubai plane heading to Israel with more than 170 people on board is being hailed as a hero.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index weathered a savage 30% drawdown, has been choppily trendless for two months, then in recent days finally broke above its downtrend and surmounted the 50-day moving average.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of savage

Browse Nearby Words

bloodthirsty
bloody
bloodying
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Cite this Entry

“Bloody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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