I .
/ ˈblʌdi; NAmE / adjective
[ only before noun ] adverb
—see also bloody (II) ( BrE , taboo , slang ) a swear word that many people find offensive that is used to emphasize a comment or an angry statement :
Don't be such a bloody fool.
That was a bloody good meal!
What bloody awful weather!
She did bloody well to win that race.
He doesn't bloody care about anybody else.
'Will you apologize?' 'Not bloody likely (= Certainly not) !'
•
IDIOMS
- bloody well
II .
/ ˈblʌdi; NAmE / adjective
—see also bloody (I) ( blood·ier , bloodi·est )
1.
involving a lot of violence and killing :
a bloody battle
The terrorists have halted their bloody campaign of violence.
2.
covered with blood; bleeding :
to give sb a bloody nose (= in a fight)
► blood·ily adverb
•
IDIOMS
see scream verb
••
WORD ORIGIN
I . mid 17th cent.: from bloody II . . The use of bloody to add emphasis to an expression is of uncertain origin, but is thought to have a connection with the “bloods” (aristocratic rowdies) of the late 17th and early 18th centuries; hence the phrase bloody drunk (= as drunk as a blood) meant “very drunk indeed”. After the mid 18th cent. until quite recently bloody used as a swear word was regarded as unprintable, probably from the mistaken belief that it implied a blasphemous reference to the blood of Christ, or that the word was an alteration of “by Our Lady”; hence a widespread caution in using the term even in phrases, such as bloody battle , merely referring to bloodshed.
II . Old English blōdig (see blood , -y ).