bloody
What does “bloody” mean in English?
It's a mild swear-word intensifier often used to emphasize frustration or annoyance. Literally, it means 'covered in blood,' but that's not how it's used here.
Literally “covered in blood”
Commonly heard in British English, it functions similarly to 'fucking' in American English but is much less offensive. It can be used in various contexts, often as an exclamation or to add emphasis.
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Related English words
bloody hell
2/5 · CoarseIt's an exclamation expressing anger, surprise, or dismay, often used when something unexpected or frustrating happens.
feck
2/5 · CoarseIt's a milder exclamation or intensifier similar to 'fuck.'
hell
1/5 · MildUsed as a mild exclamation or to intensify a statement, like saying 'hell yeah!'
pissed
2/5 · CoarseIt means either being drunk or being angry, depending on where you are. In British English, it typically refers to being drunk, while in American English, it leans more toward being angry.
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About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via 4troDev/profanity.csv, Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.