bloodletting

/ˈblʌdletɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈblʌdletɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbləd-ˌle-tiŋ/ (ame, mw)

bloodletting — noun

1. serious fighting in which people are wounded or killed, often between groups tha

1.名詞C1
釋義

serious fighting in which people are wounded or killed, often between groups that have hated each other for years

例句

After years of border disputes, the town descended into bloodletting overnight.

descend into bloodletting: sudden outbreak of severe violence

News reports showed bloodletting between rival groups in the capital.

同義詞
  • bloodshed

    the closest everyday synonym, often used for killing during war or riots

  • carnage

    stronger and more shocking, focusing on the terrible result

  • slaughter

    suggests many people being killed, often helplessly or without mercy

反義詞
  • peace

    a state in which fighting has stopped

  • ceasefire

    a formal or temporary stop to fighting

文法句型

bloodletting between + [groups]

descend into bloodletting

用法筆記

Used for very severe violence, especially when groups attack each other over a long-running conflict. It sounds much stronger than an ordinary fight or clash.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting ended in bloodletting.
✅The meeting ended in a heated argument.
💡Use 'bloodletting' for real killing or serious physical violence, not an ordinary disagreement.
❌There was bloodletting in his speech.
✅There was violent language in his speech.
💡This sense refers to actual harm or killing, not harsh words alone.

2. a period when a company removes many workers or positions, usually to save money

2.名詞C1
釋義

a period when a company removes many workers or positions, usually to save money or change direction

例句

The merger led to bloodletting in the sales and finance teams.

bloodletting in + company unit: large staff cuts

Staff feared more bloodletting after the company missed its yearly targets.

同義詞
  • layoffs

    the most direct everyday term for workers losing their jobs

  • downsizing

    a more formal business word that stresses making the workforce smaller

  • cutbacks

    broader than staffing; can include money, projects, or services as well

反義詞
  • hiring

    bringing new workers into the company

  • expansion

    business growth that often creates more jobs

文法句型

bloodletting in + [company/department]

round of bloodletting

用法筆記

This is a metaphorical business use. It usually refers to large cuts across a team or company, not just one person losing a job.

常見錯誤

❌The company used bloodletting to hire new staff.
✅The company used bloodletting to cut staff numbers.
💡In business, this sense means removing workers, not bringing them in.
❌Bloodletting means paying workers less.
✅Bloodletting means eliminating jobs or positions.
💡Lower wages are different from cutting staff entirely.

3. an old way of treating illness by taking some blood out of a sick person's body

3.名詞C1
釋義

an old way of treating illness by taking some blood out of a sick person's body because people once believed this could cure disease

例句

Doctors once used bloodletting to treat fever and stomach pain.

use bloodletting to treat + illness

The museum displayed bowls and knives for nineteenth-century bloodletting.

同義詞
  • phlebotomy

    a technical medical word; today it usually refers to drawing blood, not the old treatment idea

  • venesection

    a formal historical term for opening a vein to remove blood

文法句型

use bloodletting to treat + [illness]

bloodletting as a treatment

用法筆記

This sense is mainly historical. In modern healthcare, people usually talk about blood tests or blood donation instead, not bloodletting.

常見錯誤

❌The nurse did bloodletting to check my sugar level.
✅The nurse took a blood sample to check my sugar level.
💡Modern medical tests are not called 'bloodletting'; this word refers to an old treatment.