bloody-minded

adjective

ˌblə-dē-ˈmīn-dəd How to pronounce bloody-minded (audio)
Definition of bloody-mindednext
1
as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing The outlaw was bloody-minded in pursuit of vengeance against the authorities.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irritable
chiefly British having or showing a habitually bad temper according to palace gossip, behind closed doors the prince was a bloody-minded bore

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bloody-minded Goalkeeper Matz Sels, centre-backs Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo and combative midfielder Ibrahim Sangare all epitomised the bloody-minded spirit that helped Forest keep a clean sheet. — Paul Taylor, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2026 Suffice to say that Marseille, the oldest city in France, also developed a bloody-minded streak that would have no doubt impressed Caesar himself in the coming centuries. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 June 2025 How could a team in black and white be this unflinching, so bloody-minded and determined? — Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bloody-minded
  1. murderous
  2. irritable
  3. bloody
  4. angry
  5. brutal
  6. cantankerous
  7. savage
  8. ornery
Adjective
  • Communist organizers, as Harrington feared, began to reshape the DSA as an ally of any anti-Western force, even the most murderous and oppressive.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
  • Armand looks dissociative and murderous.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of murderous
Adjective
  • The symptoms are so delayed that people often blame them on food poisoning, irritable-bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • Cancer could be affectionate and chatty one moment, and withdrawn and irritable the next, with little to no explanation.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • Season 3 of the series returned with a bloody episode and a skyrocketing death toll, which continues to rise, as the rival Targaryen factions clashed in the shock-and-awe-inspiring Battle of the Gullet.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • The cannons would've sunk just weeks before the Battle of Savannah, known as one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War, with over 800 casualties in under an hour.
    — Amy Galo, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • Bowles told jurors Millete was angry at May over her yearlong affair with another man and likely poisoned her with the toxic plant hemlock.
    — Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Yet over our two days together in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, El-Sayed rarely comes across as angry.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of angry
Adjective
  • And Addy, perhaps the most brutal American Girl story, is enslaved.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • In January, the government suppressed huge nationwide protests in a brutal crackdown that left thousands dead.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • Principle photography is underway in London, with Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum sharing his memories of contending with Winston’s cantankerous Tyrannosaurus Rex.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 29 June 2026
  • The pièce de résistance is Belle’s willingness to engage with a cantankerous lion-man who has an outrageous temper, thanks to the chip on his very large shoulder.
    — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Definition of cantankerous
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Leach also would publicly call out his players and could get ornery when questioned about his team’s shortcomings.
    — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 June 2026
  • The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.
    — Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of ornery

Browse Nearby Words

bloodying
bloody-minded
bloody-mindedness
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Cite this Entry

“Bloody-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bloody-minded. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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