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
  • The film will follows an American tourist (Giamatti) who travels to the eerie English seaside town that inspired the work of his favorite reclusive author (Pegg), only to become entangled with a murderous secret society permeating the whole town.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Whatever the explanation, Boot says a willingness to do the bidding of a murderous despot is despicable and dangerous.
    — Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of murderous
Adjective
  • The bloody costume was complete with long red nails, replicas of her engagement and wedding rings.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Amateur historian James Bailey says colonial documents suggest Thomas Jones, namesake of New York’s Jones Beach, helped notorious pirate Henry Every evade capture after a bloody 1695 raid.
    — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • Reducing Gulliver’s Travels to only a topsy-turvy tale of humans both tiny and massive is to ignore the savage intellect that penned its words.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In ancient, supposedly more savage times, public killings were common.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 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
  • The scale-rich designs absorbed sudden, violent impacts without buckling, offered a massive range of tunable stiffness, and successfully cushioned delicate objects embedded deep inside them.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • At night, our tent offered a fragile haven from the elements, rocking back and forth like a ship in the violent winds that Werba had predicted.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • The rising, warming sea and ferocious winter storms have battered the road.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • Once home to a few hundred people, Potrerillos is now nearly deserted — a pueblo fantasma, or ghost town — one of many in a region where residents have abandoned their homes amid a brutal war between factions of the Sinaloa cartel.
    — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026
  • It’s been roughly three years since Russia launched its unprovoked, brutal invasion into Ukraine.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 13 Nov. 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 15 Nov. 2026.

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