Meaning
carnage, slaughter
- the killing of a large number of people; massacre
- a scene of massive destruction, violence, or loss of life
In a sentence
I soccorritori hanno evitato una carneficina intervenendo in tempo.
The rescuers prevented carnage by intervening in time.
La battaglia si trasformò presto in una terribile carneficina.
The battle soon turned into a terrible slaughter.
Quell'esame universitario è stato una carneficina: pochissimi promossi.
That university exam was a bloodbath: very few passed.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| carneficina | feminine · singular |
| carneficine | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- From Latin 'carnifex' (executioner).
- Can be used hyperbolically in informal contexts to mean a disaster or failure.