bleeding edge
Something too new and untested to be reliable or to have any assurance of safety; the figurative place where such things exist.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That phone uses bleeding edge technology.”
“Startups often build on bleeding edge tools that break without warning.”
“The surgeon warned that the experimental procedure remained bleeding edge, with outcomes no one could yet predict.”
A 20th-century blend of *bleed* and *leading edge*, formed as a metaphorical extension of the *cutting edge*. The term implies a position so far at the forefront of advancement that the metaphorical sword has begun to draw blood.
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cutting edge
The forefront, or position of greatest advancement in some field.
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edge of the earth
A very remote place.
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edge of the world
A very remote place.
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edge out
To defeat in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.
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live on the edge
To have an adventurous or perilous lifestyle; to behave in a manner which creates risks for oneself.
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rough around the edges
In need of refinement; unsophisticated.
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stop the bleeding
To recover by interrupting a string of losses, disappointments, etc.
Last updated August 10, 2026