# bloody

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈblʌ.diː/ · frequency rank #4,428

## Definitions
1. Covered in blood.
2. Characterised by bloodshed.
3. Used as an intensifier.
4. Badly behaved; unpleasant; beastly.

## Etymology
From Middle English blody, blodi, from Old English blōdiġ, blōdeġ (“bloody”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdag, from Proto-Germanic *blōþagaz (“bloody”), equivalent to blood + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bläidich, blöidig, blouderch (“bloody”), West Frisian bloedich (“bloody”), Dutch bloedig (“bloody”), German Low German blödig (“bloody”), German blutig (“bloody”), Danish blodig (“bloody”), Swedish blodig (“bloody”), Faroese blóðigur (“bloody”), Icelandic blóðugur (“bloody”). See Wikipedia for thoughts on sense evolution.

## Easily confused with
- **body** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-body)
- **bloom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-bloom)
- **booty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-booty)
- **brody** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-brody)
- **brood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-brood)
- **booby** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-booby)
- **blooms** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bloody-vs-blooms)
- **blood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-bloody)
- **blond** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blond-vs-bloody)
- **blonde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blonde-vs-bloody)
- **blooded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blooded-vs-bloody)

## Common misspellings (9)
`bbloody`, `blloody`, `blodoy`, `blody`, `blooddy`, `bloodyy`, `blooyd`, `bolody`, `lboody`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bloody