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# bloody

adjective (bloodier, bloodiest); adverb (bloody — rude, UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland)

«bloody» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Covered in blood or bleeding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#m1)
2. With a lot of killing and injury, such as a battle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#m2)
3. (rude, mild swearing, UK, Australia, NZ, Ireland) Used to add strong feeling or anger: "bloody hell", "it's bloody cold". [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history and stories: "a bloody battle", "a bloody nose". In real speech in Britain and Australia, "bloody" is a mild swear word showing anger, surprise or emphasis. Not used politely, never in school writing. Phrases: a bloody nose, bloody hell, bloody good.

### Examples

- He fell off his bike and got a bloody knee. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x1)
- It was a long and bloody war. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x2)
- (rude) Oh, bloody hell, I've missed the bus! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x3)
- (rude) It's bloody freezing out here. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x4)
- (rude) That was a bloody good goal! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x5)
- The nurse cleaned the bloody cut. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x6)
- (rude) Where's my bloody pencil gone? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x7)
- The sheep was as yet all raw and bloody; but he liked it the better for that. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/#x8)

### Note

As a swear word it adds feeling, not meaning: "bloody cold" just means "very cold". It is rude in the UK, Australia, NZ and Ireland, and sounds old-fashioned or British in the USA. In a maths problem "a bloody 12 apples" is still 12 apples.

## In Jewish tradition

Describes a city or house full of murder and violence, guilty of shedding blood.

**Interpretation.** The prophets use "bloody" for places and families guilty of killing. Shedding innocent blood is among the gravest sins in Jewish law.

### Examples

- Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! (Prophets EZK.24.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bloody/#x1)
- Make the chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. (Prophets EZK.7.23, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bloody/#x2)
- And the LORD said: 'It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.' (Prophets 2SA.21.1, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bloody/#x3)

### Note

As a swear word it adds feeling, not meaning: "bloody cold" just means "very cold". It is rude in the UK, Australia, NZ and Ireland, and sounds old-fashioned or British in the USA. In a maths problem "a bloody 12 apples" is still 12 apples.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «bloody» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bloody/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bloody» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bloody.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «bloody» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/bloody/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bloody» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/bloody.html) on Mova free.