different between bloodthirsty vs barbarous

English

Etymology

From blood +? thirsty. Cognate with West Frisian bloeddorstich (“bloodthirsty”), Dutch bloeddorstig (“bloodthirsty”), German blutdürstig (“bloodthirsty”), Danish blodtørstig (“bloodthirsty”), Swedish blodtörstig (“bloodthristy”), Norwegian blodtørstig (“bloodthirsty”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?bl?d???sti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?bl?d???sti/
• Hyphenation: blood?thirsty, blood?thirs?ty

Adjective

bloodthirsty (comparative bloodthirstier or more bloodthirsty, superlative bloodthirstiest or most bloodthirsty)

1. Thirsty for blood: inexorably violent or eager for bloodshed; murderous.

   Synonyms: bloodlusty, homicidal, (archaic) murtherous, murderous

   Antonym: unbloodthirsty
2. Of a book, film, etc.: depicting much violence; gory, violent.
3. (humorous) Of a mosquito, tenaciously seeking to draw blood.

Alternative forms

• blood-thirsty
• bloudthirsty, bloud-thirsty (obsolete)

Derived terms

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) barbarouse

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Latin barbarus (“foreigner, savage”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (bárbaros, “foreign, strange”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?b??(?)b???s/

Adjective

barbarous (comparative more barbarous, superlative most barbarous)

1. (said of language) Not classical or pure.
2. uncivilized, uncultured
   • 1923, Walter de la Mare, Seaton's Aunt

     I felt vaguely he was a sneak, and remained quite unmollified by advances on his side, which, in a boy's barbarous fashion, unless it suited me to be magnanimous, I haughtily ignored.

3. Like a barbarian, especially in sound; noisy, dissonant.

   I did but prompt the age to quit their cloggs

   By the known rules of antient libertie,

   When strait a barbarous noise environs me

   Of Owles and Cuckoes, Asses, Apes and Doggs - I did but prompt the age to quit their cloggs, John Milton (1673)

Derived terms

• barbarously
• barbarousness

Related terms

• barbarian
• barbaric

Translations