bloodshed

noun

blood·​shed ˈbləd-ˌshed How to pronounce bloodshed (audio)
Synonyms of bloodshednext
1
: the shedding of blood
2
: the taking of life : slaughter

Examples of bloodshed in a Sentence

Years of violence and bloodshed have left much of the country in ruins.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And even with depictions of bloodshed and death, the drama’s conflicts are a little soft. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2026 And if the trailer is any indication, there will be a lot of bloodshed in Season 3. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026 After Brown and some of his allies raided the homes of slavery supporters and killed five of them in 1856, more bloodshed followed. — Vivian Yee, New York Times, 20 June 2026 And thanks to careful planning by Alicent (Olivia Cooke), the palace welcomes Rhaenyra with only some bloodshed. — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bloodshed

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodshed was in the 15th century

Rhymes for bloodshed

See All Rhymes for bloodshed

Browse Nearby Words

blood serum
bloodshed
bloodshedder
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Cite this Entry

“Bloodshed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodshed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bloodshed

noun
blood·​shed -ˌshed How to pronounce bloodshed (audio)
1
: the shedding of blood
2
: the taking of life : slaughter

More from Merriam-Webster on bloodshed

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bloodshed

Nglish: Translation of bloodshed for Spanish Speakers

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