bleed
bleed — verb
1. to have blood flowing out of your body, usually because of a cut, a wound, or so
to have blood flowing out of your body, usually because of a cut, a wound, or some kind of injury.
Maya cut her finger on a kitchen knife and started to bleed.
intransitive: subject + bleed
The football player was bleeding heavily from a deep cut above his eye.
bleed + from + body part
Press a clean cloth on the wound until it stops bleeding.
Lina's nose began to bleed during the long bus ride.
After the dentist pulled the tooth, Carlos's gum bled for several hours.
- hemorrhage
formal/medical; suggests heavy or dangerous blood loss
- ooze
blood comes out slowly, in small amounts
文法句型
bleed from + body part
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person, an animal, or a body part (nose, finger, gum). Often paired with adverbs of degree such as 'heavily', 'badly', or 'a little'.
常見錯誤
2. in earlier centuries, to deliberately drain blood from a sick person, in the mis
in earlier centuries, to deliberately drain blood from a sick person, in the mistaken belief that this would help them recover from illness.
Doctors in the 1700s often bled fever patients with leeches or sharp blades.
historical use: bleed + patient
George Washington was bled several times by his physicians on the day he died.
passive: be bled by [doctor]
The village barber bled the merchant to treat his terrible headache.
In old medical books, you can read recipes for when and how to bleed a child.
- leech
specifically using leeches to suck out blood
文法句型
bleed + somebody
用法筆記
Almost always used in historical contexts; modern medicine no longer treats illness this way. Frequently appears in passive voice ('was bled by…').
3. to let trapped air or extra liquid escape from inside a pipe, radiator, or brake
to let trapped air or extra liquid escape from inside a pipe, radiator, or brake system, so that the equipment can work properly again.
Marcus had to bleed the radiators before the cold weather arrived.
bleed + closed system (radiator)
The mechanic showed Sarah how to bleed the brakes on her old motorcycle.
bleed + the brakes
If your heater is making strange noises, try bleeding it to remove the air.
The plumber bled the boiler and the hot water came back within minutes.
文法句型
bleed + machine/pipe
用法筆記
Object is almost always a closed system that holds liquid or gas: radiator, brake, boiler, pipe, fuel line. Distinguish from sense 1, where the subject is a person and the verb is intransitive.
常見錯誤
4. if a colour, dye, ink, or paint bleeds, it slowly leaks past a sharp edge or bou
if a colour, dye, ink, or paint bleeds, it slowly leaks past a sharp edge or boundary and stains a nearby area that should have stayed clean.
The red ink bled through the thin paper and stained the page below.
bleed through + surface
Lina's new black socks bled in the wash and turned all her shirts grey.
bleed in + the wash
The watercolour paint bled into the wet sky and softened the line of the trees.
Cheap dye often bleeds the first time you wash a new pair of jeans.
文法句型
bleed into + area
用法筆記
Subject must be a colour, dye, ink, or paint — not a solid object. Common prepositions: 'into', 'through', 'onto'.
5. to keep taking large amounts of money from somebody over a long stretch of time,
to keep taking large amounts of money from somebody over a long stretch of time, usually in a way that feels unfair or harmful.
The landlord has been bleeding the family for rent he is not really owed.
informal: bleed + somebody + for + money
These hidden subscription fees are bleeding millions of customers every month.
subject is often a fee or a company
Marcus felt the lawyer was bleeding him for every penny he had.
Online scams bleed elderly people of their savings little by little.
文法句型
bleed somebody (for something)
用法筆記
Informal and clearly negative in tone — implies unfairness or exploitation. Usually takes a human or company as object, plus an optional 'for' phrase naming what is taken.