Out for blood

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Out for blood|Idiomatic Phrase|Seeking revenge, punishment, or aggressive confrontation; describes intense determination to harm, defeat, or exact retribution from an opponent.

Detailed Definition
Out for blood means determined to punish, defeat, revenge, or harm someone. In poetry, the idiom gives anger a predatory and violent intensity. It can describe mobs, rivals, betrayed lovers, political factions, critics, or inner demons. The phrase suggests that ordinary justice is not enough; the speaker or group wants suffering. A poet may use it in revenge narratives, satire, or social critique to show how grievance becomes appetite. It raises questions about vengeance, cruelty, and the loss of restraint.
Example
Example in poetry:
A revenge ballad might show the betrayed brother out for blood beneath a red harvest moon; In a political poem, a crowd out for blood may reveal the danger of rage without justice; The phrase means determined to punish or harm; A poet can use it to create menace, violence, or moral warning.
Additional Notes
Out for blood means seeking revenge, punishment, or aggressive victory. The phrase is violent and primal, reducing conflict to appetite for injury. In poetry, it can describe mobs, rivals, betrayed lovers, political factions, or inner rage. It pairs well with hunting, wounds, knives, red imagery, and pursuit. Students should ask whether the desire for blood is justified anger, excessive vengeance, or a sign that justice has become cruelty.
Also Known As
seeking revenge
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