Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Bloody

Blood′y

,
Adj.
[AS.
blōdig
.]
1.
Containing or resembling blood; of the nature of blood;
as,
bloody
excretions;
bloody
sweat
.
2.
Smeared or stained with blood;
as,
bloody
hands; a
bloody
handkerchief
.
3.
Given, or tending, to the shedding of blood; having a cruel, savage disposition; murderous; cruel.
Some
bloody
passion shakes your very frame.
Shakespeare
4.
Attended with, or involving, bloodshed; sanguinary; esp., marked by great slaughter or cruelty;
as, a
bloody
battle
.
5.
Infamous; contemptible; – variously used for mere emphasis or as a low epithet.
[Vulgar]
Thackeray.

Blood′y

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bloodied
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Bloodying
.]
To stain with blood.
Overbury.

Webster 1828 Edition


Bloody

BLOOD'Y

,
Adj.
Stained with blood.
1.
Cruel; murderous; given to the shedding of blood; or having a cruel, savage disposition; applied to animals.
2.
Attended with bloodshed; marked by cruelty; applied to things; as a bloody battle.

BLOOD'Y

,
Verb.
T.
To stain with blood.

Definition 2024


bloody

bloody

See also: -bloody-

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈblʌ.di/
  • Rhymes: -ʌdi

Adjective

bloody (comparative bloodier, superlative bloodiest)

  1. Covered in blood.
    All that remained of his right hand after the accident was a bloody stump.
    • c. 1590-96, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 5, Scene 1, 2008 [1947], Forgotten Books, page 84,
      And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall, / Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.
    • 2011, William Shakespeare, Jonathan Bate, Eric Rasmussen, Julius Caesar, analysis of Act 2 Scene 1, 100,
      They plan to walk to the market-place, showing their bloody hands and swords and declaring ‘Peace, freedom and liberty!’
  2. Characterised by bloodshed.
    There have been bloody battles between the two tribes.
  3. (Australia, New Zealand, Britain, colloquial, mildly vulgar, not comparable) Used as an intensifier.
    • 1994, Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos, page 519,
      Try to keep those bloody women's bloody heads on their bloody shoulders by somehow helping them make this whole mad impossible scheme actually work.
    • 2003, Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, page 64,
      You are not to go asking anyone about who killed that bloody dog.
    • 2007, James MacFarlane, Avenge My Kin, Book 2: A Time of Testing, page 498,
      “You bloody fool, I could′ve stabbed you in the heart,” David said in mock anger, and then smiled widely.
  4. (dated) Badly behaved; unpleasant; beastly.
    • 1945, Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited
      Come to apologize to Charles. I was bloody to him and he's my guest. He's my guest and my only friend and I was bloody to him.
Synonyms
Translations
Derived terms

Adverb

bloody (comparative more bloody, superlative most bloody)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand, Britain, mildly vulgar) Used to intensify what follows this adverb.
    1994: Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos, 109 - "Dice are no bloody good," David said.
Synonyms
Translations

Verb

bloody (third-person singular simple present bloodies, present participle bloodying, simple past and past participle bloodied)

  1. To draw blood from one's opponent in a fight.
  2. To demonstrably harm the cause of an opponent.
Translations

Etymology 2

Clipping of bloody mary

Noun

bloody (plural bloodies)

  1. (casual) bloody mary

Anagrams