Thesaurus results for GORY

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

gory

adjective

ˈgȯr-ē

Definition of gory

as in bloody

smeared or stained with blood doesn't watch too many movies that feature gory violence

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gory The study of these gory stellar events so early in the history of the universe could help reveal how supermassive black holes grew so big, so rapidly. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 July 2026 That said, Kimble was asked to scale back one scene with the creature — an attack on a solider in episode two that turned out so gory, Hawley deemed it too much for even FX. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2026 The killing of an East Village man and brutal stabbing of two others in a gory 2024 street fight resulted in an 18-year prison term for the knifeman at his Manhattan Supreme Court sentencing Tuesday. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026 Fatekeeper is gritty, gory and unapologetically violent in a fantasy environment. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gory

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gory

Adjective

Khomeini’s decision turned it into a six-year war of attrition that killed hundreds of thousands, one of the bloodiest conflicts in the region’s modern history.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
In early 2026, satellite images revealed Akinci drones deployed in southern Egypt for executing strikes against the Rapid Support Forces fighting in the bloody civil war in neighboring Sudan.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of bloody

Adjective

SoCal likely in the clear A red blob on the hurricane center's forecast map well south of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula represents a developing tropical system, one that some models show could eventually impact California.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
The cashmere sweater comes in nine colors, including vintage pink, deep red, and navy blue.

— Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of red

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gormlessness

gory

gosh

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“Gory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gory. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of gory

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