carnage

carnage, massacre

noun kar-NAZH Rare

Origin: Italian carnaggio (slaughter of flesh) from Latin caro (flesh)

Usage Note

Carnage describes large-scale killing or destruction. It is also used hyperbolically in informal speech to mean a disaster or fiasco — c'était le carnage can describe a chaotic situation as readily as a violent one. English borrowed the word from French essentially unchanged.

Examples

"Le carnage de la guerre a choqué le monde entier."

Natural Translation

The carnage of the war shocked the entire world.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Tu vs Vous: When to Use Each in French

Tu vs vous in French: use tu for one friend, family, or child, and vous for strangers, elders, your boss, and any group. A clear etiquette guide.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Say "I Miss You" in French (Without Errors)

"I miss you" in French is Tu me manques, not Je te manque. Learn the subject-flip behind manquer so you never text the opposite of what you mean.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read