bleed
/bliːd/ (bre, ipa) · [blˈid] /bliːd/ (ame, ipa) · [blˈid] /ˈblēd/ (ame, mw)
bleed — verb
- bleedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bleedshe / she / it
- bledpast simple
- bleeding-ing form
1. when your body releases blood through a cut, scrape, or other damage to a blood
when your body releases blood through a cut, scrape, or other damage to a blood vessel, usually because of an injury
Cyrus fell off his bike and scraped his knee badly, and it began to bleed heavily.
bleed + adverb: bleed heavily
The nurse pressed a clean cloth against the wound to stop it from bleeding.
stop someone from bleeding / stop the bleeding
After the surgery, Emily noticed a small spot where the cut was still bleeding through the bandage.
If you cut yourself while cooking, hold the cut under cold water until it stops bleeding.
The patient was rushed to hospital because he would not stop bleeding after the accident.
- hemorrhage
more formal and medical; suggests heavy or internal bleeding
- lose blood
more general and less immediate; describes the fact rather than the action
- clot
when blood thickens to stop a wound from bleeding; a verb describing the opposite process
文法句型
bleed + adverb (heavily/profusely)
用法筆記
Commonly used with intensifying adverbs like 'heavily', 'profusely', or 'badly' to describe how much blood is lost. The phrase 'stop the bleeding' is a very frequent collocation.
常見錯誤
2. a historical medical practice in which a healer deliberately removes blood from
a historical medical practice in which a healer deliberately removes blood from a sick person, believing this would treat the illness
In the eighteenth century, doctors often bled patients who had a fever, thinking this would balance the body.
often passive in historical context
The old medical text described how to bleed a person with leeches placed on the skin.
bleed a person with leeches
George Washington was bled heavily by his doctors in 1799, and the blood loss probably made him even weaker.
In 1848 a country doctor bled a young woman with typhoid fever, leaving her too weak to sit up.
- let blood
an older, equivalent phrase used in historical writing
- phlebotomize
a formal medical term for drawing blood from a vein
文法句型
bleed + person (as medical treatment)
用法筆記
This sense is only used when talking about historical medical practices. The subject is always a doctor or healer, and the object is a person. The passive form 'was bled' is very common.
3. to let trapped air or unwanted liquid out of a pipe, container, or closed system
to let trapped air or unwanted liquid out of a pipe, container, or closed system so that it functions correctly
Every autumn, Nikhil bleeds the radiators in his apartment to remove the air bubbles that stop them from heating evenly.
bleed a radiator — common household maintenance
The mechanic showed me how to bleed the brake system after replacing the tubes under the car.
If your radiator is cold at the top but hot at the bottom, you probably need to bleed it.
Benjamin opened the small valve at the top of the pipe to bleed the heating system of excess water.
文法句型
bleed + system/pipe (of air/liquid)
用法筆記
The object is typically a piece of equipment (radiator, brake line, pipe, boiler). You 'bleed' the system — you do not 'bleed' the air or liquid out. The purpose is to remove what blocks proper function.
常見錯誤
4. of a colour, ink, or dye, to spread into an area where it is not wanted, especia
of a colour, ink, or dye, to spread into an area where it is not wanted, especially when the surface is wet or damp
Aoi added too much water to the paint, and the red bled into the white area of the picture.
bleed into [area] — colour crossing a boundary
When the rug gets wet, the dye can bleed onto the wooden floor and leave dark marks.
Cyrus tried to wash his new red shirt with white socks, and the colour bled onto everything in the machine.
The ink from Eli's pen bled through the thin paper and made the next page hard to read.
When Jin's sister coloured a sunflower with cheap felt-tip pens, the green ink bled into the yellow petals.
文法句型
bleed + into/through [surface]
用法筆記
Subject is always a substance (ink, dye, paint, colour) or an object that contains it (a shirt, a marker). Common prepositions are 'into' (crossing a boundary) and 'through' (penetrating a surface).
5. to take money from someone or an organisation by forcing them to pay, often with
to take money from someone or an organisation by forcing them to pay, often with unfair pressure or dishonest methods over a long period
The corrupt manager bled the company of thousands of dollars by creating fake bills.
bleed + person + of + amount
Mauricio's gambling habit slowly bled his family's savings until there was almost nothing left.
Small businesses on the street felt the landlord was bleeding them dry with constant rent increases.
The legal case went on for years and bled the charity of funds it needed for its programmes.
文法句型
bleed + person/organisation + dry/of money
用法筆記
Strongly negative. Often used with 'dry' (bleed someone dry) to mean taking absolutely everything. The person or organisation being bled is the victim; the subject is the person or force taking the money.
常見錯誤
6. a sarcastic way of telling someone that their minor complaint does not deserve a
a sarcastic way of telling someone that their minor complaint does not deserve any real pity — the speaker means the opposite of what the words say
Erik said he had to fly to Tokyo for a week, and Anya replied, 'Oh, my heart bleeds for you.'
fixed phrase: 'my heart bleeds for you' — ironic
Jabari complained that his hotel room only had a sea view and not a pool view — my heart bleeds, honestly.
'I have to attend three parties this weekend.' 'My heart bleeds for you,' said Quinn with a grin.
When a friend complained the free buffet had no spring rolls, Cole grinned and said his heart bled for him.
- I couldn't care less
directly expresses lack of sympathy; not tied to the ironic 'heart' metaphor
文法句型
my heart bleeds (for + person) — fixed ironic expression
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed first-person expression 'my heart bleeds (for someone)'. The meaning is the opposite of the literal words — it is always ironic. The tone can be playful or harsh depending on context.
常見錯誤
7. of an image, colour, or text on a page, to extend all the way to the edge after
of an image, colour, or text on a page, to extend all the way to the edge after the paper is cut, so that no white border remains
The designer set the photo to bleed off the left edge of the brochure for a modern look.
bleed off [edge] — printing term
Sofia enlarged the blue background on her poster by 2 millimetres so that it would bleed past the trim line.
Eli checked the PDF to make sure the cover image would bleed correctly on all four sides.
The magazine's full-page advertisement was designed to bleed so the red background reached every edge.
- run off the page
a non-technical way of describing the same effect
- stop short
when the printed content does not reach the edge, leaving a margin
文法句型
bleed off [edge of page]
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in design and printing contexts. The opposite of a 'bleeding' image is one with a 'margin' or 'border' around it. The verb can be used actively (the image bleeds) or passively (it is designed to bleed).
bleed — noun
1. the area of a printed page where an image or background colour runs all the way
the area of a printed page where an image or background colour runs all the way to the trimmed edge, with no white margin left
The brochure was printed with a 3-millimetre bleed on every side so that no white border appeared after cutting.
printed with a [measurement] bleed — technical specification
Before printing, Emily checked the bleed settings and extended the green background 3 millimetres past the trim line.
Gabriel's business card had only 1 millimetre of bleed, and the printer warned the cutter might leave a white edge.
The print shop told Amara that her flyer needed an eighth of an inch of bleed on each side.
用法筆記
Used in graphic design, publishing, and professional printing. 'Full bleed' means the image extends to all four edges. Usually measurable: 'a 3mm bleed'. Countable when referring to a specific allowance (add bleeds), uncountable when speaking generally (add more bleed).
常見錯誤
2. a medical condition in which blood escapes from a damaged blood vessel, either i
a medical condition in which blood escapes from a damaged blood vessel, either inside the body or from a wound
The doctors found a small bleed in the patient's stomach that was causing the pain.
a bleed [countable] — specific medical event
After the car crash, Erik was taken for a brain scan to check for any internal bleeding.
internal bleeding — common compound noun
Ada's doctor warned her that the ibuprofen she took for her back pain increased her risk of a stomach bleed.
The nurse applied pressure to stop the bleed from the deep cut on Mauricio's leg while waiting for the doctor.
- hemorrhage
more formal medical term; often implies a more serious or heavier loss of blood
- blood loss
describes the amount of blood lost rather than the event itself
用法筆記
As a countable noun ('a bleed'), it refers to a specific instance or location of blood loss, often detected inside the body. As an uncountable noun ('bleeding' or 'blood loss'), it describes the condition generally. The compound 'internal bleeding' is very common in medical contexts.