Meanings
nounbloodshed (usually uncountable, plural bloodsheds)
plural bloodsheds · alternative bloudshed
- literallyuncountableusuallyThe shedding or spilling of blood.
avoid bloodshed
1 more example
The revolution resulted in heavy bloodshed.
- uncountableusuallyA slaughter; destruction of life, notably on a large scale.
political bloodshed
1 more example
widespread bloodshed
- obsoleteuncountableusuallyThe shedding of one's own blood; specifically, the death of Christ.
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From attested early forms of such phrases as "there was much blood shed"; equivalent to blood + shed, past participle of shed.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek αἱματεκχυσία, αἱματεκχυσία
- αἱματεκχυσία (haimatekkhusía)shedding or spilling of blood
- αἱματεκχυσία (haimatekkhusía)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Arabic سَفْك الدَّم, إِرَاقَةُ الدَّم
- سَفْك الدَّم (safk ad-dam)shedding or spilling of blood
- إِرَاقَةُ الدَّم (ʔirāqatu d-dam)shedding or spilling of blood
- سَفَكَ الدَّمَ (safaka d-dama)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Bulgarian кръвопроли́тие, кръвопроли́ване
- кръвопроли́тие (krăvoprolítie)shedding or spilling of blood
- кръвопроли́ване (krăvoprolívane)shedding or spilling of blood
- клане́ (klané)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- кървясване (kărvjasvane)bloodshot condition or appearance; an effusion of blood in the eye
Chinese Mandarin 流血
- 流血 (liúxuè, liúxuě, liúxiě)shedding or spilling of blood
Czech krveprolití, krveprolévání
- krveprolitíshedding or spilling of blood
- krveproléváníshedding or spilling of blood
- krveprolitícarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Danish blodsudgydelse, blodbad
- blodsudgydelseshedding or spilling of blood
- blodbadcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Dutch bloedbad, bloedvergieten
- bloedbadshedding or spilling of blood
- bloedvergietenshedding or spilling of blood
- bloedbadcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- bloedvergietencarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- slachtingcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- bloedoffershedding of one's own blood; specifically, the death of Christ
Estonian verevalamine, veresaun
- verevalamineshedding or spilling of blood
- veresauncarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- verevalaminecarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Finnish verenvuodatus, verenvuodatus
- verenvuodatusshedding or spilling of blood
- verenvuodatuscarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- verilöylycarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- verenvuodatusshedding of one's own blood; specifically, the death of Christ
- veriuhrishedding of one's own blood; specifically, the death of Christ
- verestysbloodshot condition or appearance; an effusion of blood in the eye
French effusion de sang, carnage
- effusion de sangshedding or spilling of blood
- carnagecarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
German Blutvergießen, Blutbad
- Blutvergießenshedding or spilling of blood
- Blutbadshedding or spilling of blood
- Blutvergießencarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- Blutbadcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Greek αιματοχυσία, αιματοκύλισμα
- αιματοχυσία (aimatochysía)shedding or spilling of blood
- αιματοκύλισμα (aimatokýlisma)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Hebrew שְפִיכוּת דָמִים
- שְפִיכוּת דָמִים (shfikhut damim)shedding or spilling of blood
Hindi रक्तपात, खूनखराबा
- रक्तपात (raktapāt)shedding or spilling of blood
- खूनखराबा (khūnakhrābā)shedding or spilling of blood
- खुनखराबा (khunakhrābā)shedding or spilling of blood
- सफ्क (saphk)shedding or spilling of blood
- हिंसन (hinsan)shedding or spilling of blood
- हिंसा (hinsā)shedding or spilling of blood
- मारकाट (mārkāṭ)shedding or spilling of blood
- रक्तपात (raktapāt)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- खूनखराबा (khūnakhrābā)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- खुनखराबा (khunakhrābā)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- सफ्क (saphk)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- हिंसन (hinsan)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Hungarian vérontás, vérontás
- vérontásshedding or spilling of blood
- vérontáscarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Irish doirteadh fola, sreangshúil
- doirteadh folashedding or spilling of blood
- sreangshúilbloodshot condition or appearance; an effusion of blood in the eye
Italian spargimento di sangue, ecatombe
- spargimento di sangueshedding or spilling of blood
- ecatombecarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- carneficinacarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Japanese 流血
- 流血 (ryūketsu)shedding or spilling of blood
Korean 유혈, 류혈
- 유혈 (yuhyeol)shedding or spilling of blood
- 류혈 (ryuhyeol)shedding or spilling of blood
Lithuanian kraujo praliejimas
- kraujo praliejimasshedding or spilling of blood
Malay pertumpahan darah
- pertumpahan darahshedding or spilling of blood
Māori tārukenga
- tārukengacarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Norwegian Bokmål blodsutgytelse, blodbad
- blodsutgytelseshedding or spilling of blood
- blodbadcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Polish rozlew krwi, przelew krwi
- rozlew krwishedding or spilling of blood
- przelew krwishedding or spilling of blood
- rozlew krwicarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- przelew krwicarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- przelew krwishedding of one's own blood; specifically, the death of Christ
- przekrwieniebloodshot condition or appearance; an effusion of blood in the eye
Portuguese derramamento de sangue, carnificina
- derramamento de sangueshedding or spilling of blood
- carnificinacarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- massacrecarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Russian кровопроли́тие, кровопроли́тие
- кровопроли́тие (krovoprolítije)shedding or spilling of blood
- кровопроли́тие (krovoprolítije)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- резня́ (reznjá)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Scottish Gaelic dòrtadh-fala, dòrtadh-fala
- dòrtadh-falashedding or spilling of blood
- dòrtadh-falacarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Slovak krvipreliatie, krviprelievanie
- krvipreliatieshedding or spilling of blood
- krviprelievanieshedding or spilling of blood
Spanish hechos de sangre
- hechos de sangreshedding or spilling of blood
Swahili umwagaji damu, umwagaji damu
- umwagaji damushedding or spilling of blood
- umwagaji damucarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Swedish blodsutgjutelse, blodspillan
- blodsutgjutelseshedding or spilling of blood
- blodspillanshedding or spilling of blood
- blodsutgjutelsecarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- blodspillancarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Turkish kan dökme, katliam
- kan dökmeshedding or spilling of blood
- katliamcarnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Ukrainian кровопроли́ття, кровопроли́ття
- кровопроли́ття (krovoprolýttja)shedding or spilling of blood
- кровопроли́ття (krovoprolýttja)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- різня́ (riznjá)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
- різани́на (rizanýna)carnage, destruction of life, slaughter
Urdu خُوں ریزی
- خُوں ریزی (xū̃ rezī)shedding or spilling of blood
Vietnamese sự đổ máu
- sự đổ máushedding or spilling of blood
Welsh tywallt gwaed
- tywallt gwaedshedding or spilling of blood
Cite this entry
APA
bloodshed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bloodshed
MLA
“bloodshed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bloodshed. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bloodshed,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bloodshed.
Source: bloodshed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.