noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈblʌdˌbɑːθ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈblʌdˌbæθ/
CMU ARPABET:B L AH1 D B AE2 TH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Indiscriminate killing or slaughter; a massacre.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An aggressive or very violent contest or confrontation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
An upset (as of a game with unexpected results, or a national presidential convention) or heavy defeat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A large financial loss or massive layoff brought about by negative economic conditions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Topics: business
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A bath taken in warm blood used as a restorative or medical treatment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: literally
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
indiscriminate slaughter
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a bloodbath took place when the leaders of the plot surrendered
ten days after the bloodletting Hitler gave the action its name
the valley is no stranger to bloodshed and murder
a huge prison battue was ordered
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bloodletting, bloodshed, battue
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: slaughter, massacre, mass murder, carnage, butchery
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
65 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
bloedbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Afrikaans:
moordparty
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Arabic:
مَذْبَحَة
(maḏbaḥa)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Arabic:
حَمَّام دَمّ
(ḥammām damm)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Bulgarian:
кръвопролитие
(krǎvoprolitie)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Bulgarian:
клане
(klane)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Catalan:
bany de sang
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Cebuano:
madugoong
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Chinese Mandarin:
血洗
(xuèxǐ)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Chinese Mandarin:
大屠殺 /大屠杀
(dàtúshā)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Danish:
blodbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Danish:
blodbadet
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Dutch:
bloedbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Esperanto:
masakro
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Esperanto:
samgoveršado
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Estonian:
veresaun
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Faroese:
blóðbað
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Finnish:
verilöyly
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
French:
bain de sang
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Galician:
baño de sangue
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Georgian:
სისხლისღვრა
(sisxlisɣvra)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Georgian:
ხოცვა-ჟლეტა
(xocva-žleṭa)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
German:
Blutbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Greek:
λουτρό αίματος
(loutró aímatos)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Hebrew:
מרחץ־דמים
(merkhatz-damym)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Hungarian:
vérfürdő
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Hungarian:
vérfürdőben
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Icelandic:
blóðbað
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Indonesian:
pembantaian
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Italian:
bagno di sangue
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Japanese:
大虐殺
(daigyakusatsu)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Japanese:
刃傷沙汰
(ninjōzata)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Japanese:
刃傷
(ninjō)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Kannada:
ರಣಗೊಲೆ
(raṇagole)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Kannada:
ರಕ್ತಸ್ನಾನ
(raktasnāna)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Kazakh:
қызыл қырғын
(qyzyl qyrğyn)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Kyrgyz:
кызыл кыргын
(kızıl kırgın)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Maltese:
banju tad-demm
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Māori:
tārukenga
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Norwegian Bokmål:
blodbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Norwegian Nynorsk:
blodbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Polish:
rzeź
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Polish:
krwawa łaźnia
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Portuguese:
banho de sangue
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Romanian:
baie de sânge
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Russian:
кро́вавая ба́ня
(króvavaja bánja)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Russian:
кровопроли́тие
(krovoprolítije)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Russian:
резня́
(reznjá)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Spanish:
baño de sangre
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Spanish:
escabechina
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Swahili:
umwagaji wa damu
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Swedish:
blodbad
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Tamil:
இரத்தக்களரியை
(irattakkaḷariyai)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Telugu:
రక్తపుటేరుల్ని
(raktapuṭērulni)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Turkish:
kan banyosu
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Turkish:
katliam
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Ottoman Turkish:
قان
(kan)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Ukrainian:
крива́ва ба́ня
(kryváva bánja)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Vietnamese:
tắm máu
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter
Yiddish:
בלאַדבאַט
(bladbat)
— indiscriminate killing or slaughter