Word
bloodbath
Phoneticsblood·bath, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɫədˌbæθ/
UK/blˈʌdbɑːθ/
Definitions
01a massacre
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Literary
n. an event where a large number of people are killed in a very violent way.
n. an act of indiscriminate killing or a brutal massacre. Often used in journalistic contexts to describe extreme violence.
“The history book described the battle as a bloodbath with no survivors.”
“The civil war descended into a senseless bloodbath, leaving the international community struggling to coordinate a humanitarian response.”
02financial loss or layoffs
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Informal
n. a situation where many people lose their jobs at once or a company loses a lot of money.
n. a figurative extension referring to a period of severe financial loss, market volatility, or large-scale redundancies within an organization.
“After the stock market crashed, the day was described as a bloodbath for investors.”
“The tech sector experienced a bloodbath last quarter as three major firms announced simultaneous layoffs affecting thousands of employees.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a heavy defeat
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports Informal
n. a game or competition where one side is beaten very badly.
n. a figurative term for a crushing defeat or a highly aggressive confrontation in sports or politics.
“The championship game turned into a bloodbath when the home team lost by forty points.”
“Political analysts predicted a bloodbath in the upcoming primary, expecting the incumbent to lose by a historic margin.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Tim Burton’s gothic bloodbath Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street did win in 2008, but that one genuinely had some Sondheim warbling amid the slashed throats.” “Sharpeville's local memorial park, the Human Rights Precinct, tells the story of how the streets of township became the scene of a bloodbath.” Etymology
From blood + bath, the latter used referring to a metaphorical deluge. Compare West Frisian bloedbad (“bloodbath”), Dutch bloedbad (“bloodbath”), German Blutbad (“bloodbath”), Danish blodbad (“bloodbath”), Norwegian Bokmål blodbad (“bloodbath”), Swedish blodbad (“bloodbath”), Icelandic blóðbad (“bloodbath”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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