Thesaurus results for GORY

Q: How does the adjective 'gory' contrast with its synonyms?

The words bloody and sanguinary are common synonyms of gory . While all three words mean "affected by or involving the shedding of blood," gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter. // exceptionally gory , even for a horror movie

Q: Where would 'bloody' be a reasonable alternative to 'gory'?

Although the words bloody and gory have much in common, bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood. // bloody hands

Q: When might 'sanguinary' be a better fit than 'gory'?

In some situations, the words sanguinary and gory are roughly equivalent. However, sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed. // the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

gory

adjective

ˈgȯr-ē

Definition of gory

as in bloody

smeared or stained with blood doesn't watch too many movies that feature gory violence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the adjective gory contrast with its synonyms?

The words bloody and sanguinary are common synonyms of gory. While all three words mean "affected by or involving the shedding of blood," gory suggests a profusion of blood and slaughter.

exceptionally gory, even for a horror movie

Where would bloody be a reasonable alternative to gory?

Although the words bloody and gory have much in common, bloody is applied especially to things that are actually covered with blood or are made up of blood.

bloody hands

When might sanguinary be a better fit than gory?

In some situations, the words sanguinary and gory are roughly equivalent. However, sanguinary applies especially to something attended by, or someone inclined to, bloodshed.

the Civil War was America's most sanguinary conflict

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 gory Fatekeeper is gritty, gory and unapologetically violent in a fantasy environment. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 The Stephen King Cinematic Universe A wildly influential film that spins high school revenge fantasy into a dizzyingly gory spectacle. — Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026 The killing of an East Village man and brutal stabbing of two others in a gory 2024 street fight resulted in an 18-year prison term for the knifeman at his Manhattan Supreme Court sentencing Tuesday. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026 And then there is a gory massacre scene from the original Camp Miasma, in which Little Death (played by TV Glow‘s Jack Haven) slaughters dozens of unlucky campers to a highly unusual, anachronistic hit song from the 1990s. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gory

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

This Lulus dress looks almost identical to the style spotted on Middleton from the flutter sleeves to the statement-making white and red floral pattern.

— Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
Balogun, who saw his red-card suspension set aside enabling him to play in Monday night’s win-or-done match.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026

Definition of red

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gormlessness

gory

gosh

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“Gory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gory. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of gory

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