blood on hands
Complicity in killing
Blood on hands describes moral responsibility for death or serious harm.
The image is of a killer whose hands bear visible evidence of violence.
The phrase assigns guilt even without direct physical involvement: The CEO has blood on his hands for ignoring safety warnings.
Politicians, generals, and executives are often accused of having blood on their hands for decisions that cost lives.
The stain is metaphorical but the accountability is real.
- guiltyResponsible for wrongdoing
- guilty conscienceSelf-blame for wrongdoing
- murdererOne who unlawfully kills
- stainedMarred by discoloration
- crimsonDeep purplish-red shade
violence · crime scene · sin · moral responsibility · remorse · killer · cold blooded · culprit · wash · wash away · blame · death · complicit · shame · responsibility · gore · crime · conscience
- death idiomsdead end, dead serious, dead wrong, dead tired, dead weight
- Treachery SymbolsJudas, Brutus, Judas kiss, kiss of Judas, silver coins
blood on handsinnocent bystander
Uninvolved person harmed incidentally
clean hands · blameless · guiltless · innocent · clear conscience
blood, hand, hands, bloody, bloodied, bloodying, bloods, bloodless, bloodline