Meaning & use

carnage

noun·Advanced

The extensive and violent killing of people, or a scene of great destruction.

See it in a sentence

Reporters described the carnage left behind after the battle in vivid, disturbing detail.

The highway pileup caused terrible carnage, with dozens of vehicles destroyed.

A note on using this word

Carnage is a strong, dramatic word best reserved for genuinely severe violence or destruction; using it for minor mishaps sounds exaggerated.

Words with a similar meaning

slaughterbloodshed

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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