das Blutbad
bloodbath
An event in which many people are killed violently; a massacre.
EXAMPLE
Der Bürgerkrieg endete in einem furchtbaren Blutbad.
The civil war ended in a terrible bloodbath.
das Blutbad
bloodbath
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Meanings
das Blutbad
bloodbath
Colloquially, a situation with extremely high financial losses, especially on the stock market.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Ankündigung der Zentralbank kam es an den Aktienmärkten zu einem Blutbad.
After the central bank's announcement, there was a bloodbath on the stock markets.
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is made up of 'Blut' (blood) and 'Bad' (bath). It creates the drastic image of a 'bath in blood' and is therefore used only for events involving extreme violence or extreme losses.
EXAMPLE
Die Medien sprachen von einem Blutbad, um die Brutalität des Angriffs zu beschreiben.
The media spoke of a bloodbath to describe the brutality of the attack.
Typical verbs
In connection with violence, 'Blutbad' (bloodbath) is often used with the verbs 'anrichten' (to cause) or 'verhindern' (to prevent). People say that someone 'richtet ein Blutbad an' (causes a bloodbath).
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei konnte durch ihr schnelles Eingreifen ein Blutbad verhindern.
Through their quick intervention, the police were able to prevent a bloodbath.
Context clue
You can recognize the colloquial meaning for financial losses from the context. If there is talk of 'Börse' (stock exchange), 'Aktien' (stocks), 'Märkten' (markets), or 'Investoren' (investors), this figurative meaning is usually intended.
EXAMPLE
Der plötzliche Kurssturz führte zu einem Blutbad unter den Anlegern.
The sudden price crash led to a bloodbath among investors.
Compare with
Blutbad vs Massaker
massacre
Massaker and Blutbad can refer to the same event in which many people are killed violently. Massaker sounds more matter-of-fact and names the act, while Blutbad vividly emphasizes the amount of blood and the horror. Massaker is usually more appropriate in a factual report, while Blutbad can also be used in an emotional description.
Blutbad
Die Augenzeugen schilderten das Blutbad in dem Dorf voller Entsetzen.
The eyewitnesses described the bloodbath in the village with horror.
Massaker
Der Bericht beschreibt das Massaker in dem Dorf mit sachlichen Worten.
The report describes the massacre in the village in matter-of-fact terms.
In real life
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