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sanguineous

adjective

san-ˈgwi-nē-əs How to pronounce sanguineous (audio)
Definition of sanguineousnext
as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing in the sanguineous culture of ancient Sparta, military glory was prized above all else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sanguineous The viral TikTok dance sensation inspired by Wednesday star Jenny Ortega’s quirky moves that is set to the sanguineous 2011 Lady Gaga song has blown up so big that even Mother Monster couldn’t resist throwing her black veil into the ring. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguineous
  1. murderous
  2. bloody
  3. savage
  4. sanguinary
  5. violent
  6. ferocious
  7. brutal
Adjective
  • Yaga reimagines the witch, who is known to live in a hut on chicken legs and potentially is a murderous seductress or powerful enchantress, depending on the author of the tale.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The women are frequently naked, and the men are either murderous or barbaric.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of murderous
Adjective
  • This easy-going scene belies the region’s bloody colonial history.
    — Michelle Jana Chan, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Healthy people infected with salmonella often experience fever, bloody diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the federal health agency.
    — Julia Hawkins, Idaho Statesman, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • Bryan Singer’s ingenious thriller is both a graceful callback to ’50s potboilers and a savage modernization of them.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cole, who has to maneuver his way around 20 savage crew members, each of whom will need to be killed, doesn’t waste a homicidal movement.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Or some other colorful character in some other sanguinary chamber with some other lethal weapon?
    — John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
  • In a series of sanguinary close-ups, Elvira takes a cleaver to her digits, first slicing them and then fully dismembering them.
    — Andrew McGowan, Variety, 23 Dec. 2025
Definition of sanguinary
Adjective
  • Mayweather’s charges stemmed from a violent encounter between her and Lapattra Jacobs, the mother of one of YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s children.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The recent deaths have highlighted high rates of femicide and violent crime in the country and sparked an outcry over the safety of women.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • The relationship between Xi and Zhang went back decades, extending not just to their childhoods but all the way back to their fathers, who were comrades in arms in China’s ferocious civil war.
    — Jonathan A. Czin, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The ferocious drummer Martin Chambers, with his knifey sideburns, completed the quartet.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • Horror films and increasingly brutal crime stories reveal the very large market for the subject.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutal

Browse Nearby Words

sanguineness
sanguineous
sanguinity
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Cite this Entry

“Sanguineous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguineous. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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