carnage

noun

car·​nage ˈkär-nij How to pronounce carnage (audio)
Synonyms of carnage
1
: the flesh of slain animals or humans
… a multitude of dogs came to feast on the carnage.T. B. Macaulay
2
: great and usually bloody slaughter or injury (as in battle)
the carnage of war

Examples of carnage in a Sentence

Reporters described the highway accident as a scene of carnage. the appalling carnage in that war-torn country requires that the outside world intervene
Recent Examples on the Web
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The Browns needed to get younger and cheaper across the board to give themselves a chance to compete until the books are cleared of the Watson carnage. Jeff Howe, New York Times, 1 June 2026 On its walls are commemorated more than 72,000 British soldiers still missing from the war cemeteries that dot the landscape of the Somme valley, 72,000 people whose bodies were never identified from the carnage. Literary Hub, 27 May 2026 The two embraced in the closing moment and took a breath days before the inevitable carnage that is set to take place. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026 In Iraq, militants used powerful but crude explosive devices; two decades later, Armonda had to deal with the carnage wrought by cluster bombs and thermobaric explosions. Martha Raddatz, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for carnage

Word History

Etymology

French, from Medieval Latin carnaticum tribute consisting of animals or meat, from Latin carn-, caro — see carnal

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnage was in 1614

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carnage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnage. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

carnage

noun
car·​nage ˈkär-nij How to pronounce carnage (audio)
: great destruction of life (as in battle) : slaughter

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