bloodcurdling

adjective

blood·​cur·​dling ˈbləd-ˌkərd-liŋ How to pronounce bloodcurdling (audio)
-ˌkər-dᵊl-iŋ
: arousing fright or horror
bloodcurdling screams

Examples of bloodcurdling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Act III, the bloodcurdling chorus of the Dutchman’s spectral crew lacked a persuasive visual component. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2020 The sounds of more explosions could be heard deriving from the outside amid more seemingly bloodcurdling screams, yells, sirens and alarms. Sean Lester Durham, The Root, 8 Apr. 2018 To me, a noose is merely a noose — not a bloodcurdling symbol of racist violence. Kevin Riordan, Philly.com, 1 Nov. 2017 A young girl issued bloodcurdling screams as nurses cleaned cuts running up her leg. Azam Ahmed, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloodcurdling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1724, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodcurdling was in 1724

Dictionary Entries Near bloodcurdling

Cite this Entry

“Bloodcurdling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodcurdling. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bloodcurdling

adjective
blood·​cur·​dling ˈbləd-ˌkərd-liŋ How to pronounce bloodcurdling (audio)
-ᵊl-iŋ
: causing great horror or fear : terrifying
bloodcurdling screams

More from Merriam-Webster on bloodcurdling

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!