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noun Common

bleeding

BLEE-dihng
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Bleeding (noun) means the flow of blood from a wound or, in medical contexts, from inside the body. Example: “The nurse checked that the bleeding had stopped before cleaning the cut.”

noun
1
The flow of blood from a wound or, in medical contexts, from inside the body.
"The nurse checked that the bleeding had stopped before cleaning the cut."
"Apply pressure to stop the bleeding."
"Internal bleeding after the crash required emergency surgery."
adj
1
A mild British intensifier expressing annoyance, similar to "damn."
"I've lost my bleeding keys again, and I'm already late for work."
"This bleeding printer jammed again just when I needed the report."
"Where's the bleeding remote control gone?"

How to use bleeding

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBlood loss from an injury, or (informally, mainly UK) a mild swear-like intensifier.

When to use it

The intensifier sense is informal British slang, mild but still not suited to formal writing.

Common pairings
stop the bleeding internal bleeding bleeding heart
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Word forms

Plural
bleedings
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The nurse checked that the _____ had stopped before cleaning the cut.

Etymology

By surface analysis, formed from bleed and -ing.

Related words

Rhymes for bleeding

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Frequently asked questions

What does “bleeding” mean?
The word “bleeding” means the flow of blood from a wound or, in medical contexts, from inside the body. In plain terms, blood loss from an injury, or (informally, mainly UK) a mild swear-like intensifier.
How do you pronounce “bleeding”?
“Bleeding” is pronounced BLEE-dihng (/ˈbliːdɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “bleeding” in a sentence?
Here is “bleeding” used in a sentence: “Apply pressure to stop the bleeding.”
What part of speech is “bleeding”?
Depending on how it is used, “bleeding” can be a noun and an adjective.
Is “bleeding” a common word?
“Bleeding” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “bleeding” have?
“Bleeding” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the flow of blood from a wound or, in medical contexts, from inside the body.
Is bleeding a swear word in British English?
Bleeding is a mild British intensifier used to express annoyance, similar to "damn," as in "the bleeding car won't start." It is generally considered mild rather than genuinely offensive, but it is informal and best avoided in polite or professional settings.
What is the difference between bleeding and hemorrhage?
Bleeding is the general term for any flow of blood from a wound or from inside the body. Hemorrhage is the medical term, usually reserved for heavy, serious, or uncontrolled blood loss, such as internal bleeding after a major injury.

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