01
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
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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
'das Massaker' and 'das Blutbad' can both refer to a very brutal event in which many people are killed. 'Massaker' especially emphasizes the cruelty and often also the fact that the victims are defenseless. 'Blutbad' sounds very strong and vivid, and emphasizes the large amount of killing and violence. Learners can easily confuse the words because they often fit in similar ways in reports about war or violence. In figurative language, however, they differ: a 'Massaker' can colloquially be a very heavy defeat in sports, while a 'Blutbad' is more likely to be a major financial loss, for example on the stock market.
Blutbad
Nach dem Angriff sprach die Presse von einem Blutbad in der Stadt.
After the attack, the press spoke of a bloodbath in the city.
Massaker
Der Bericht beschreibt ein Massaker an vielen wehrlosen Dorfbewohnern.
The report describes a massacre of many defenseless villagers.
In real life
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