Bloodlust
/ˈblʌdˌlʌst/noun
An intense desire for bloodshed or violence.
Did you know?The second half, lust, comes from an Old English word for desire or pleasure, so the term literally frames violence as a craving — a chilling example of how words can make brutality feel instinctive.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
blōd
“blood”
Old English
OE
lust
“desire, pleasure, appetite”
Middle English
ME
blod lust
“a desire for blood or killing”
17th Century
English
blood-lust
“violent desire or appetite for bloodshed”
Modern English
English
bloodlust
“intense craving for violence or bloodshed”