ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bleed out

phrasal verb.
Definition

phrasal verb. to die because you have lost too much blood from an injury.

phrasal verb. to suffer a fatal loss of blood; typically used in medical, forensic, or dramatic contexts to describe death by exsanguination.


SIMPLE

The doctor acted quickly so the patient wouldn't bleed out.

CONTEXTUAL

Without a tourniquet to stop the heavy flow, the soldier would have bled out on the battlefield.

COMPLEX

The victim was discovered in the alleyway, having bled out from a deep wound before emergency services could arrive.

  • lose blood
  • exsanguinate
Particles
out
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bleed + out
Usage

usually used as an intransitive verb, meaning it does not take a direct object.

Teaching tip

this is a graphic term often found in crime dramas or news reports; contrast it with the simpler 'bleeding' to show the result is total and fatal.

Pitfall

He was bled out by the wound.He bled out from the wound.the phrase is typically used in the active voice to describe the process of losing blood until death.

Last updated April 24, 2026