carnage
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of carnage
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French, from Italian carnaggio, from Medieval Latin carnāticum “payment or offering in meat,” equivalent to Latin carn- (stem of carō ) “flesh” + -āticum noun sufffix; see -age
Explanation
Carnage is mass murder. If you have seen news footage of a village after a bomb has been detonated, you probably saw a scene of carnage. Carnage comes from the Latin carnaticum, meaning "flesh" or "slaughter of animals." Carnage is often used to describe the brutal killing of many people, but can also refer to large numbers of animals that have been butchered.
Vocabulary lists containing carnage
Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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Persepolis
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Achievement First 7th Grade IA 1 Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But in the midst of all that carnage, Trump had a more anodyne idea: Someone should really revive Cats.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
After all, his good luck almost always leaves nothing but carnage for the people he leaves behind.
From Salon • May 31, 2026
She said it was "absolute carnage" at border control and has rebooked a flight to Edinburgh on Tuesday.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
But it also holds out the possibility, through the destiny of Dicey’s baby, of a more hopeful future emerging from the carnage and injustice of history.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The nurse steered him down a back corridor to the emergency room, where Roy was relieved to find no chaos or carnage.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
