Word
bleeding
Phoneticsbleed·ing, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈbɫidɪŋ/
UK/blˈiːdɪŋ/
Definitions
01loss of blood
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Medicine
n. when blood flows out of a person's body because of an injury.
n. the escape of blood from the circulatory system due to damaged blood vessels.
“The doctor applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding.”
“Internal bleeding can be difficult to diagnose without imaging, as the patient may only present with vague symptoms like dizziness or low blood pressure.”
Synonyms
02annoying or extreme
C1 · Advanced British English · Slang · Informal
adj. a word used to show you are very angry or to make a point stronger.
adj. used as an attributive intensifier to express anger, frustration, or emphasis.
“I've been waiting for the bleeding bus for forty minutes.”
“He complained that the bleeding radiator had been leaking all weekend despite the landlord's promises to fix it.”
03extremely
C1 · Advanced British English · Slang · Informal
adv. used before an adjective to mean 'very' when you are annoyed.
adv. an intensifying adverb used to add emotional force to an adjective.
“It is bleeding cold in this office today.”
“The instructions were bleeding impossible to follow, leading the team to abandon the project entirely by mid-afternoon.”
Real-World Examples
“Mayer was unable to get in behind her jab for long periods and was bleeding and breathing heavily by round six.” “Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle pain and headache followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and internal and external bleeding.” Etymology
By surface analysis, bleed + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
01. bleeding edge
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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