Synonyms of gory

gory

adjective

ˈgȯr-ē 

as in bloody

smeared or stained with blood

doesn't watch too many movies that feature gory violence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bloody
• red
• reddish
• bloodstained
• crimson
• ruby
• carmine
• sanguinary
• sanguineous
• bloodred
• sanguine
• incarnadine

Synonym Chooser

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

Recent Examples of gory

There’s a sequence in this film that’s arguably the goriest, and there’s another five minutes of that sequence. —William Earl, Variety, 8 Feb. 2025

Perkins pushes back against logic in favor of entertaining midnight madness, and death has never been funnier or gorier. —Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025

Of the three, this Nosferatu is the goriest, the most violent, and the most focused on Orlok’s Satanism. —Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024

Probably Amazon’s goriest show, The Boys stands as a pertinent examination of the abuses of power, all wrapped in superhero drag. —Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024