bloody-minded

adjective

bloody-mind·​ed ˌblə-dē-ˈmīn-dəd 

1

: inclined towards violence or bloodshed

2

chiefly British : stubbornly contrary or obstructive : cantankerous

bloody-mindedness noun

Synonyms

• bloodthirsty
• bloody
• homicidal
• murdering
• murderous
• sanguinary
• sanguine
• sanguineous

Examples of bloody-minded in a Sentence

some bloody-minded individuals wanted to castrate the alleged rapists even without so much as a word of sworn testimony

according to palace gossip, behind closed doors the prince was a bloody-minded bore

Recent Examples on the Web

But Tim Spiers has made the argument today for why Ronaldo, despite his bloody-minded ambition, is a detrimental presence in the Portuguese line-up and the evidence is compelling. —Phil Hay, The Athletic, 4 July 2024

The International Olympic Committee has functioned as financier and enabler of autocrats with world-destructive designs as bloody-minded as any historical tyrant. —Sally Jenkins, Washington Post, 27 July 2024

Marisa Abela portrays the late singer in her ascendancy from a plucky teenager to a troubled icon of jazz and pop; the trailer focuses on her bloody-minded approach to her career, and the friends, family, and other figures who were beside her along the way. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 2 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1584, in the meaning defined at sense 1