bloody-minded

adjective

ˌblə-dē-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce bloody-minded (audio)
Definition of bloody-mindednext
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

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-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 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 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
  1. murderous
  2. irritable
  3. bloody
  4. angry
  5. brutal
  6. cantankerous
  7. savage
  8. ornery
Adjective
  • Pax, the glamorous international operators who’ve flocked to fill the waters of the Nile with swanky boats as the allure of channeling your inner, slightly less murderous Agatha Christie grow stronger than ever.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 23 July 2026
  • If, say, Sydney Sweeney was cast in the role, they’d be driven to murderous violence.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
Definition of murderous
Adjective
  • Perelman said people who have weakened immune systems and those with irritable bowel disease may want to talk to their doctors before incorporating the foods into their diet.
    — Devi Shastri, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Symptoms can include a lump in the armpit, dimpled skin on the chest, red or flaky skin near the nipple, pain or tenderness on the chest or armpit, clear or bloody nipple discharge and an inverted nipple, per the Cleveland Clinic.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • The brunch craft cocktails include espresso martini, bloody Marys, and blood orange mimosa white peach Bellini made with Prosecco.
    — Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to install temporary three-way stop signs at the intersections during a road project that’s already created mind-numbing traffic snarls and angry and confused drivers.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
  • That same source insisted to People that Jolie is no longer angry at her 62-year-old ex-husband.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • San Francisco has already seen right-hander Hayden Birdsong undergo Tommy John surgery earlier this year, and losing McDonald for an extended period of time would be another brutal blow for the pitching staff.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
  • This thing—the military—aims, at least in Harlow’s eyes, to turn boys into tools for brutal battlefield aims.
    — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Carroll O'Connor played the cantankerous antihero Archie Bunker, legendary for firing off his grumpy, bigoted views.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 12 July 2026
  • Principle photography is underway in London, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum sharing his memories of contending with Winston’s cantankerous Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 June 2026
Definition of cantankerous
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • In the show, Kyle Chandler plays Hal Jordan, an ornery Green Lantern who is begrudgingly training his upstart protégé (Aaron Pierre).
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of ornery

Browse Nearby Words

bloodying
bloody-minded
bloody-mindedness
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Cite this Entry

“Bloody-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody-minded. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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