blood|y

blood|y «BLUHD ee», adjective, blood|i|er, blood|i|est, verb, blood|ied, blood|y|ing, adverb.

–adj.

1. covered with blood; bleeding: »

He got a bloody nose in the fight.

2. stained with blood: »

His shirt was bloody down the front.

SYNONYM(S): gory.

3. accompanied by much killing; with much bloodshed: »

It was a bloody battle.

SYNONYM(S): sanguinary.

4. Figurative. eager for bloodshed; bloodthirsty; cruel: »

a foul and bloody deed. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man (Psalms 5:6).

SYNONYM(S): murderous.

5. having the color of blood: »

The bloody Sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand (Samuel Taylor Coleridge).

6. British Slang. cursed; confounded (see note below): »

He's a bloody fool.

SYNONYM(S): damned.

–v.t.

1. to cause to bleed: »

He bloodied his nose in the fall.

2. to stain with blood: »

His pants leg was torn and bloodied when he fell. The sword which was drawn (not bloodied, I hope) in this unlucky quarrel (Robert Southey).

–adv.

British Slang. very (see note below): »

Do what he says? Not bloody likely!

╂[Old English blōdig]

–blood´i|ly, adverb.

–blood´i|ness, noun.

Usage In England, bloody in the sense of adj., def. 6, and adv. was long considered unpardonably vulgar. The ban against its use has now been much relaxed, though it is still avoided in many circles and in mixed company.