adj
bloodless
Bloodless (adj) means occurring without any bloodshed or violence. Example: “The country experienced a bloodless coup last year.”
adj
1
Occurring without any bloodshed or violence.
"The country experienced a bloodless coup last year."
2
Lacking colour, energy, or emotion; pale or lifeless.
"Her face looked bloodless with shock."
"The critic called the performance technically perfect but bloodless."
How to use bloodless
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither without violence, or lacking warmth, colour, and feeling.
Common pairings
bloodless coup
a bloodless performance
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like bloodless.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more bloodless
- Superlative
- most bloodless
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The country experienced a _____ coup last year.
Etymology
Bloodless comes from Middle English blodles, from Old English blōdlēas (“bloodless”). It is cognate with Dutch bloedeloos (“bloodless”), German blutlos (“bloodless”), Danish blodløs (“bloodless”), Swedish blodlös (“bloodless”) and Icelandic blóðlaus (“bloodless”). On the surface it analyses as blood + -less.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for bloodless
See all rhymes for bloodless →Frequently asked questions
What does “bloodless” mean?
The word “bloodless” means occurring without any bloodshed or violence. In plain terms, either without violence, or lacking warmth, colour, and feeling.
How do you use “bloodless” in a sentence?
Here is “bloodless” used in a sentence: “The country experienced a bloodless coup last year.”
What part of speech is “bloodless”?
“Bloodless” is an adjective.
How many meanings does “bloodless” have?
“Bloodless” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: occurring without any bloodshed or violence.
