1
as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing
The outlaw was bloody-minded in pursuit of vengeance against the authorities.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
chiefly British
having or showing a habitually bad temper
according to palace gossip, behind closed doors the prince was a bloody-minded bore
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bloody-minded
Goalkeeper Matz Sels, centre-backs Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo and combative midfielder Ibrahim Sangare all epitomised the bloody-minded spirit that helped Forest keep a clean sheet.
—
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2026
But this was an emotional display of bloody-minded defiance.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2025
Suffice to say that Marseille, the oldest city in France, also developed a bloody-minded streak that would have no doubt impressed Caesar himself in the coming centuries.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2025
This exchange is emblematic of their close but often adversarial relationship: two similarly bloody-minded women who are always butting heads.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
How could a team in black and white be this unflinching, so bloody-minded and determined?
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Paul Taylor, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2026
But this was an emotional display of bloody-minded defiance.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2025
Suffice to say that Marseille, the oldest city in France, also developed a bloody-minded streak that would have no doubt impressed Caesar himself in the coming centuries.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2025
This exchange is emblematic of their close but often adversarial relationship: two similarly bloody-minded women who are always butting heads.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2025
How could a team in black and white be this unflinching, so bloody-minded and determined?
—Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloody-minded
Adjective
-
Nothing that reflects the sheer abjection of the murderous dog pounds of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries or the many individual cruelties visited upon dogs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
This despite its violent, heroic left-leaning revolutionaries and a cabal of right-wing racists with unapologetically murderous intentions.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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But Maguire, now 43, became sad and irritable, and didn’t want to be around his newborn.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
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Additionally, Owens' youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
With the myth of Medea as a burning thematic wire, and through the metaphor of bloody dog fights, the novel burns with the rage and despair of those who remain unseen.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
In a region that's seen decades of bloody wars and a 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, de Merode says the past few weeks stand out.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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Texts, screen grabs, recordings and other records recovered from a search of Rinderknecht’s cellphones portray a man who was by turns lonely and livid, angry at billionaires and ex-romantic partners while seemingly scared about his own declining mental health.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
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So that prompted protests and disturbances in Southampton, and a huge, angry reaction from the far right, both within Britain and internationally.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Higher-level inmates gorge themselves; those below face starvation, suicide or cannibalism – a brutal metaphor for the world’s food chain.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
The president’s instinct to go for the jugular was on display in his first campaign, when he was written off early on as an entertainer but found success with brutal takedowns.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The cantankerous Jackson Lamb is back in a first look at season six of Slow Horses.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
The cantankerous Croatian lasted until November.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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What begins as a desperate family bonding trip rapidly devolves into savage violence and brutal psychological warfare.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
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Their twiggy legs and bony frames exposed in bathing suits, the kids do indeed look extra vulnerable within the film’s savage landscape.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Leach also would publicly call out his players and could get ornery when questioned about his team’s shortcomings.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bloody-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody-minded. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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