O.E. blodig, adj. from blod (see blood). It has been a British intens. swear word since at least 1676. Weekley relates it to the purely intensive use of the cognate Du. bloed, Ger. blut). But perhaps connected with bloods in the slang sense of "rowdy young aristocrats" (see blood) via expressions such as bloody drunk "as drunk as a blood." Partridge reports that it was "respectable" before c.1750, and it was used by Fielding and Swift, but heavily tabooed c.1750-c.1920, perhaps from imagined association with menstruation; Johnson calls it "very vulgar," and OED first edition writes of it, "now constantly in the mouths of the lowest classes, but by respectable people considered 'a horrid word', on par with obscene or profane language." Shaw shocked theatergoers when he put it in the mouth of Eliza Doolittle in "Pygmalion" (1914), and for a time the word was known euphemistically as "the Shavian adjective." It was avoided in print as late as 1936. Bloody Mary, the drink, is from 1956, named for Mary Tudor, queen of England 1553-58, who earned her epithet for vigorous prosecution of Protestants. The drink earned its, apparently, simply for being red from tomato juice. Bloody Sunday, Jan. 30, 1972, when 13 civilians were killed by British troops at protest in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

stained with blood
Example: a bloody shirt; His clothes were torn and bloody.

Arabic: مُلَطَّخٌ بالدَّم Chinese (Traditional): 血污的 Czech: zkrvavený Danish: blodplettet; blodig Dutch: bebloed Estonian: verine Finnish: verinen French: ensanglanté German: blutbefleckt Greek: ματωμένος, αιματοβαμμένος Hungarian: véres Icelandic: blóðugur Indonesian: berdarah Italian: insanguinato Japanese: 血まみれの	Korean: 피로 더러워진 Latvian: asiņains; asinīm aptraipīts Lithuanian: kruvinas, kraujuotas Norwegian: blodig Polish: zakrwawiony Portuguese (Brazil): ensangüentado Portuguese (Portugal): ensanguentado Romanian: pătat cu sânge Russian: окровавленный Slovak: zakrvavený Slovenian: okrvavljen Spanish: ensangrentado Swedish: blodig Turkish: kanlı, kana bulanmış

bleeding
Example: a bloody nose

Arabic: يَنْزِفُ دماًا Chinese (Traditional): 流血的 Czech: krvácející Danish: blødende Dutch: bloedend Estonian: verdjooksev Finnish: verta vuotava French: en sang German: blutig Greek: που αιμορραγεί Hungarian: vérző Icelandic: blæðandi Indonesian: mengalirkan darah Italian: sanguinante Japanese: 出血している	Korean: 출혈하는 Latvian: asiņojošs Lithuanian: kraujuojantis, sukruvintas Norwegian: blødende Polish: krwawiący Portuguese (Brazil): que sangra Portuguese (Portugal): a sangrar Romanian: sângerând Russian: кровоточащий Slovak: krvácajúci Slovenian: krvaveč Spanish: que sangra Swedish: blödande Turkish: kanayan

murderous and cruel
Example: a bloody battle

Arabic: دَمَوي، ميّالٌ إلى سَفْكِ الدِّماء Chinese (Traditional): 殘忍的 Czech: krvavý Danish: blodig Dutch: bloedig Estonian: verine Finnish: verinen French: sanglant German: blutig Greek: αιματηρός Hungarian: gyilkos Icelandic: blóðugur, blóði drifinn; mannskæður Indonesian: kejam Italian: sanguinosa Japanese: 血なまぐさい	Korean: 피비린내 나는 Latvian: nežēlīgs; asinskārs Lithuanian: kruvinas Norwegian: blodig Polish: krwawy Portuguese (Brazil): sangrento Portuguese (Portugal): sangrento Romanian: sân­geros Russian: кровопролитный Slovak: krvavý Slovenian: krvav Spanish: sangriento Swedish: blodig, mordisk, blodtörstig Turkish: kanlı, çok kan dökülen

used in slang vulgarly for emphasis
Example: That bloody car ran over my foot!

Arabic: لَعين، مَلْعون Chinese (Traditional): 該死的 Czech: zatracený Danish: forbandede; satans Dutch: verdomd Estonian: kuramuse Finnish: helkkarin French: damné, ée Greek: αναθεματισμένος λαϊκ. Hungarian: rohadt, k…a Icelandic: bölvaður Indonesian: sialan Italian: maledetto, dannato Japanese: ひどい	Korean: 강조의 뜻으로 괘씸한, 지독한 Latvian: nolādēts; sasodīts Lithuanian: prakeiktas Norwegian: forbannet, helvetes, satans Polish: cholerny Portuguese (Brazil): maldito Portuguese (Portugal): o raio de Romanian: nenorocit Russian: проклятый Slovak: prekliaty Slovenian: preklet Spanish: maldito Swedish: förbannad, helvetes, djävla Turkish: Allahın belâsı