Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective sanguinary contrast with its synonyms?

The words bloody and gory are common synonyms of sanguinary. While all three words mean "affected by or involving the shedding of blood," sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

When is bloody a more appropriate choice than sanguinary?

The synonyms bloody and sanguinary are sometimes interchangeable, but bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood.

bloody hands

When is it sensible to use gory instead of sanguinary?

The words gory and sanguinary can be used in similar contexts, but gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

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 sanguinary That battle would send Bonaparte on a dizzying journey up — and down and up and down — the greasy pole of French politics and military promotions, and it’s staged by Scott with sanguinary detail: Blood will spurt, spray and splatter throughout the battles that made him and undid him. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2023 Of course, things don’t always go to plan, and apart from serving up varying portions of Reddick, Ian McShane and main course Keanu Reeves, the films are a sanguinary festival of fisticuffs, karate chops, spinning kicks, gunfire, stabbings, chases and exploding heads. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023 But most of the works in this show of 28 artists come from some place closer to the end, where violent outcomes are expressed in sanguinary hues. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 May 2023 Last month, Uganda finally declared the country free of hemorrhagic fevers after three months of battling these seemingly omnipresent sanguinary viruses. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Nov. 2012 See All Example Sentences for sanguinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguinary
Adjective
  • This is a duplicitous, murderous regime that isn’t interested in dialogue.
    Danielle Wallace , Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2025
  • Ordinary Iranians have been left without clean water, heating, job security or freedom of expression as Tehran has poured inordinate sums of money into assembling murderous proxies across the Middle East.
    Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • After watching in terror as a man violently attacked a police officer in an El Cajon fast-food restaurant, Iesha Booker checked for a pulse on the bloody, unconscious officer and yelled into the radio on his belt.
    Karen Kucher, sandiegouniontribune.com, 19 July 2017
  • Photos of the man in a hospital bed with a bloody mouth were also posted.
    Jonece Starr Dunigan, AL.com, 14 July 2017
Adjective
  • The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
  • As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.
    Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
  • The Royals lost to the Dodgers on Friday night, a brutal 5-4 loss as Jac Caglianone grounded into a double play to conclude the 11th straight home loss.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2025
  • The 28-year-old is playing on a medical exemption after a brutal stretch of injuries and illness.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Swart said another giveaway is the hotel accommodations that are arranged for violent rioters.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2025
  • Newsom and Trump have sparred over the California protests after the president federalized National Guard troops, arguing local officials were not doing enough to quell demonstrations that at times grew violent, though most protesters were peaceful.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sanguinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguinary. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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