bloodless
Americanadjective
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without blood.
bloodless surgery.
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very pale.
a bloodless face.
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free from bloodshed; accomplished without bloodshed.
a bloodless victory; a bloodless coup.
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spiritless; without vigor, zest, or energy.
a dull, insipid, bloodless young man.
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without emotion or feeling; cold-hearted.
bloodless data.
adjective
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without blood
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conducted without violence (esp in the phrase bloodless revolution )
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anaemic-looking; pale
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lacking vitality; lifeless
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lacking in emotion; cold; unfeeling
Other Word Forms
- bloodlessly adverb
- bloodlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of bloodless
1175–1225; Middle English blodles, Old English blōdlēas. See blood, -less
Explanation
When something is bloodless, it's free of violence. During a bloodless revolution, a regime is overthrown without anyone being killed. A coup or a revolution is sometimes described as bloodless — in these instances, political and revolutionary goals are achieved without any blood being shed or lives being lost. A different meaning of bloodless is "drained of blood" or "pale and white," as your face might look if you saw a ghost. The Old English word was blodleas — figuratively, it meant "powerless."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it does promote order by redirecting the ambitious few into what Mr. Mansfield calls “the bloodless killing of commerce” while reducing the material deprivation that encourages discontent among the many poor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
Barre seized power in a bloodless coup in 1969.
From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026
Speaking to The Times of London, King said he required the upcoming film adaptation to show blood, calling the bloodless violence of superhero movies “pornographic.”
From Salon • Aug. 31, 2025
The bloodless procedural “September 5” starts with a scene of Arledge’s ratings genius at work as he orders his crew to cut away from a triumphant winner to their devastated rival.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2024
Cressida stands determinedly at my side, but she’s so pale her lips are bloodless.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
