# bloodless

/ˈbɫədɫəs/ (US) · /blˈʌdləs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bloodless
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. lacking emotion or energy

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

describing someone or something that has no passion, feeling, or excitement.

For teachers: lacking in vitality, emotion, or human feeling; often used to describe academic or artistic works that feel cold.

- The critic complained that the actor gave a bloodless performance.
- The report was technically accurate but ultimately bloodless, failing to capture the human suffering caused by the economic crisis.

### 3. pale or lacking blood

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

looking very pale, as if there is no blood in the skin.

For teachers: physically lacking blood or appearing anaemic and ashen.

- His face went bloodless when he heard the shocking news.
- The patient's lips were thin and bloodless, a clear sign of the severe exhaustion he had been enduring for weeks.

## Examples

- The two countries reached a bloodless agreement to end the conflict.
- The surgery was a bloodless procedure that allowed the patient to return home the same day.
- While the transition of power was technically bloodless, the underlying tensions that had been ignored for decades eventually surfaced in the form of economic instability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.