bloody

[ bluhd-ee ]

adjective

, blood·i·er, blood·i·est.

1. stained or covered with blood:

   a bloody handkerchief.

   Synonyms: gory, sanguinary

2. bleeding:

   a bloody nose.

   Synonyms: gory, sanguinary

3. characterized by bloodshed:

   bloody battle; a bloody rule.

   Synonyms: gory, sanguinary

4. inclined to bloodshed; bloodthirsty:

   a bloody dictator.

   Synonyms: ruthless, inhuman, cruel, ferocious, brutal, savage, homicidal, murderous

5. of, relating to, or resembling blood; containing or composed of blood:

   bloody tissue.

6. Slang. (used as an intensifier):

   a bloody shame; a bloody nuisance.

verb (used with object)

, blood·ied, blood·y·ing.

1. to stain or smear with blood.
2. to cause to bleed, as by a blow or accident:

   to bloody someone's nose.

adverb

1. Slang. (used as an intensifier):

   bloody awful; bloody wonderful.

bloody

/ ˈblʌdɪ /

adjective

1. covered or stained with blood
2. resembling or composed of blood
3. marked by much killing and bloodshed

   a bloody war

4. cruel or murderous

   a bloody tyrant

5. of a deep red colour; blood-red

adverb

1. slang.
   (intensifier)

   a bloody fool

   bloody fine food

verb

1. tr to stain with blood

Derived Forms

• ˈbloodily, adverb
• ˈbloodiness, noun

Other Words From

• bloodi·ly adverb
• bloodi·ness noun
• un·bloodi·ly adverb
• un·bloodi·ness noun
• un·bloody adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloody¹

before 1000; Middle English blody, Old English blōdig. See blood, -y ¹

Example Sentences

The issue at the time, Ms Nash explains, is that because the battle was so bloody, most of the men were either killed or captured, leaving no one to identify them.

From BBC

“When we first started it’d probably be like 80% men over 50 — like looking out at a bloody dozen eggs,” she says of the gathering of gray and bald heads.

From Los Angeles Times

The boys — then 10 and 6 — and their mom, Tiffany, were struck as their neighbor went on a bloody rampage through the rural community about an hour south of Redding.

From Los Angeles Times

From a different angle of the night, a video shows two injured people lying prone on the ground, one bloodied around the head.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has publicly fantasized about a “bloody story” of mass deportations and concentration camps targeting Black and brown “illegal immigrants.”

From Salon

Related Words

• cruel
• ferocious
• fierce
• gory
• grim
• murderous
• savage