01 a. Attended with much bloodshed; bloody; murderous; as, a sanguinary war, contest, or battle.
-
1.
Attended with much bloodshed; bloody; murderous; as, a sanguinary war, contest, or battle.“We may not propagate religion by wars, or by sanguinary persecutions to force consciences.” — Bacon.
-
2.
Bloodthirsty; cruel; eager to shed blood.“Passion . . . makes us brutal and sanguinary.” — Broome.
Syn.
Bloody; murderous; bloodthirsty; cruel.