Definition of sanguinarynext

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 Mass shootings scarcely register anymore, unless the death toll reaches a certain sanguinary level. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024 Michael Modafferi Lawmakers and order Yonkers: How many more innocents will be murdered, mugged and mauled by sanguinary, recidivist thugs and mentally ill individuals, none of whom belong unfettered on the streets of New York City and state, before the left-wing Democrats restore law and order? Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2024 An appeal to force was an admission of failure, and the pride of the new nation was the sense of overcoming the sanguinary reflexes of the old world. TIME, 31 Jan. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for sanguinary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguinary
Adjective
  • Maybe Othello was primed and ready to be worked into a murderous rage.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • Pure white cloth, born in the murderous toil of slavery, formed in debilitating factory conditions, and finished through the agony of Sicilian children, was bleached in more ways than one.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 15 June 2026
Adjective
  • His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
    David Unsworth, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Even more lore is on the way when House of the Dragon returns for season 3 on June 21 following season 2's bloody end.
    Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026
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
Adjective
  • The New York Mets are in disarray thanks to a brutal start to what was supposed to be a promising season.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • In 1972, a year after a brutal conflict—one in which India helped with the rebirth of the eastern wing of Pakistan as Bangladesh—New Delhi and Islamabad concluded an agreement that resumed limited trade.
    Michael Kugelman, Time, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • The march stems from the violent 1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn that catalyzed the gay rights movement at a time when many people who were LGBTQIA+ hid their identity.
    Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 28 June 2026
  • Over the years, Hall has responded to emergencies ranging from domestic violence calls to serious violent crimes.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sanguinary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguinary. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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