sanguineous

adjective

san-ˈgwi-nē-əs How to pronounce sanguineous (audio)
Definition of sanguineousnext
as in murderous
eager for or marked by the shedding of blood, extreme violence, or killing in the sanguineous culture of ancient Sparta, military glory was prized above all else

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sanguineous The viral TikTok dance sensation inspired by Wednesday star Jenny Ortega’s quirky moves that is set to the sanguineous 2011 Lady Gaga song has blown up so big that even Mother Monster couldn’t resist throwing her black veil into the ring. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sanguineous
  1. murderous
  2. bloody
  3. savage
  4. sanguinary
  5. violent
  6. ferocious
  7. brutal
Adjective
  • Discordant keys fly like daggers while snares trip over bass thuds; there’s a jazzy piano interlude, and then a murderous hard-rock siege razes the mix to the ground.
    — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Unfortunately for Luca, the camera is inhabited by a demon that forces him to continue a murderous ritual started decades ago by a satanist serial killer (the titular Madison).
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of murderous
Adjective
  • In December 2024, Syrian rebels streamed into Damascus in a surprise attack that toppled President Bashar al-Assad and put an end to more than 13 bloody years of civil war.
    — Emily Feng, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Administration’s tactics have reminded her of recent malicious acts in France tied to Russian operatives, such as the defacing of a Holocaust memorial with bloody handprints and the planting of a pig’s head outside a mosque.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of bloody
Adjective
  • In ancient, supposedly more savage times, public killings were common.
    — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
  • That’s when another event, GRB 250702B, revealed itself in all its relentless, savage glory.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • Or some other colorful character in some other sanguinary chamber with some other lethal weapon?
    — John Beifuss, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 16 Mar. 2026
  • In a series of sanguinary close-ups, Elvira takes a cleaver to her digits, first slicing them and then fully dismembering them.
    — Andrew McGowan, Variety, 23 Dec. 2025
Definition of sanguinary
Adjective
  • The protests quickly turned violent as demonstrators lobbed Molotov cocktails at the Education Ministry and clashed with police.
    — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The Lilliputians are as small-minded as their size and conduct querulous, violent debates about which end of an egg to crack (so obviously similar to the theological complexities of Swift’s own day).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wilson rocked the stanchion with a ferocious dunk in transition in the fourth quarter, only to have his next attempt at a full-court sprint smacked away by Jamal Shead, leading to a Leonard 3-pointer on the other end.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of ferocious
Adjective
  • Now in his 25th year on television, Chuck has built a beloved media career through brutal honesty.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Although the decrease in shot volume wasn’t quite as dramatic, Giddey went 1-for-10 from the field and scored only two points in Wednesday’s brutal beatdown by the Raptors.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of brutal

Browse Nearby Words

sanguineness
sanguineous
sanguinity
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Cite this Entry

“Sanguineous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sanguineous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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