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bleed
/bliːd/
lose blood
He started to bleed after cutting his finger on the glass.
He began to lose blood after accidentally cutting his finger with a piece of glass.
Medicine
Medical
To lose blood from the body as a result of injury or illness.
The patient was bleeding heavily from the wound.
A large amount of blood was flowing from the patient's injury.
Often used in medical contexts to describe blood loss from wounds, injuries, or internal bleeding.
Technology
technical
To allow ink, dye, or color to spread or run outside the intended area.
The ink bled into the paper, ruining the print quality.
The ink spread beyond its intended boundaries, damaging the printed image.
Commonly used in printing, graphic design, and photography to describe color diffusion.
literary
To feel or be affected by something deeply or emotionally.
Her words bled into his thoughts, haunting him for days.
Her words had a deep emotional impact, lingering in his mind persistently.
Often used metaphorically to describe emotional or psychological impact.
Finance
financial
To drain resources or money from something or someone.
The company was bleeding money due to poor management.
The company was losing a significant amount of money because of inefficient management.
Used in business contexts to describe financial losses.
Collocations
bleed outlose all blood, die from blood lossbleed dryexhaust resources completelybleed intospread beyond limits, merge
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'bled'
Remember that the past tense and past participle of 'bleed' is 'bled', not 'bleeded'.
Gold Rule
Literal vs. Figurative Use
Use 'bleed' literally for blood loss (e.g., 'The cut started to bleed.') and figuratively for emotional or financial drain (e.g., 'The scandal bled the company's reputation.').
Word Origin
From Old English 'blēdan' (to bleed), derived from Proto-Germanic '*blēþaną', related to Old Norse 'blæða' and Old High German 'bluoten'. The original sense was 'to let blood' or 'to make bleed', later generalized to any loss of blood.
Usage Notes
The verb 'bleed' is irregular in past tense and past participle: bleed → bled → bled. It is commonly used in both literal (medical) and figurative (emotional, financial) contexts.
Word Breakdown
bleed
to lose blood or let blood flow
rootEnglish Dictionary