bloody (redirected from bloodied)

bloody but unbowed

Fig. showing signs of a struggle, but not defeated. (Originally referring to the head. From the poem Invictus by William Earnest Henley.) Liz emerged from the struggle, her head bloody but unbowed. We are bloody but unbowed and will fight to the last.

See also: but, unbowed

cry bloody murder

Fig. to scream as if something very serious has happened, especially unnecessarily. Now that Bill is really hurt, he's crying bloody murder. There is no point in crying bloody murder about the bill if you knew the restaurant was expensive.

See also: cry, murder

scream bloody murder and yell bloody murder

Fig. to complain bitterly; to complain unduly. When we put him in an office without a window, he screamed bloody murder. There is something wrong next door. Everyone is yelling bloody murder.

See also: murder, scream

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bloodied but unbowed  (literary)

harmed but not defeated by an unpleasant situation or competition I emerged bloodied but unbowed from my oral exam.

See also: but, unbowed

bloody minded  (British & Australian informal)

someone who is bloody minded makes difficulties for other people, usually by arguing against their actions or ideas without a good reason There's no reason why we shouldn't do aerobics in the squash court - the sports committee are just being bloody minded.

See also: minded

give somebody a bloody nose

to defeat or damage someone, but not permanently or seriously The pro-Europeans gave their opponents a bloody nose in the debate.

See scream blue murder

See also: give, nose

scream blue murder  (British, American & Australian informal) also scream bloody murder (American & Australian informal)

to shout or to complain very loudly Readers screamed blue murder when the price of their daily paper went up. Someone took the child's ice cream away and he started screaming bloody murder.

See also: blue, murder, scream

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scream bloody murder

to shout or to complain very loudly Sometimes the baby screams bloody murder when we give her a bath. I'm so frustrated with the telephone company, I want to scream bloody murder.

Usage notes: sometimes holler bloody murder and yell bloody murder, with the same meaning

See also: murder, scream