Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Marked by great zeal, intensity, or violence: Describes something that is extremely energetic, passionate, violent, or graphic in its nature, often in a raw and unrestrained manner.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • He prefers old-fashioned, blood-and-guts action movies with practical effects.
  • The documentary provided a blood-and-guts account of the historical battle.
  • Her blood-and-guts approach to coaching motivated the entire team.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively (before a noun) to modify and emphasize the intense, graphic, or unrestrained quality of the noun it describes.
  • The film is a blood-and-guts thriller, not for the faint of heart.
• Often implies a lack of subtlety, being direct and visceral in its impact.

Variants and Related Words

• Gutsy (adj): Showing courage, determination, and spirit. (Note: This is a related concept of intensity but lacks the specific connotation of graphic violence).
• Visceral (adj): Relating to deep inward feelings rather than to the intellect; instinctive and often graphic.
• Graphic (adj): Giving a vivid picture with clear and explicit details, often shockingly so.

Synonyms

• Violent
• Intense
• Graphic
• Visceral
• Gory

Related Phrases and Idioms

• To be a blood-and-guts [type of thing]: To be a quintessential, raw example of its genre.
  • That match was blood-and-guts rugby at its finest.
• Blood, sweat, and tears: An idiom referring to hard work and sacrifice (Note: This is a different, though conceptually related, idiom).

Adjective

1. marked by great zeal or violence
   • real blood-and-guts fiction
   • blood-and-guts football