English Reference

Word

hemorrhage

Phoneticshem·or·rhage, stress on the first syllable

/ˈhɛmɝɪdʒ/

UK spelling · haemorrhage

Definitions

01heavy bleeding

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine American English · Technical

n. a large and sudden loss of blood from the body.

n. a profuse discharge of blood from the blood vessels, either internally or externally.

“The patient suffered a severe hemorrhage after the accident and needed surgery immediately.”

“The surgeon worked quickly to locate the source of the internal hemorrhage before the patient's blood pressure dropped to critical levels.”

Usage

Commonly used as an uncountable noun for the condition and a countable noun for a specific event.

Synonyms

bleedingbleeding out

02loss of resources

C1 · Advanced Countable noun American English

n. a sudden or large loss of something valuable, like money or workers.

n. a rapid, significant, and detrimental loss of assets, personnel, or resources.

“The company faced a massive hemorrhage of talent as employees left for better jobs.”

“Economists warned that without immediate intervention, the national treasury would face a hemorrhage of capital that could destabilize the currency.”

Teaching tip

This figurative use is common in business and political journalism to emphasize the severity of a loss.

Antonyms

03to bleed heavily

C1 · Advanced Medicine American English · Technical

v. to lose a lot of blood very quickly.

v. to undergo a profuse and rapid loss of blood.

“The wound began to hemorrhage, so he applied pressure to stop the flow.”

“Medical staff were concerned that the victim might hemorrhage internally despite showing few outward signs of trauma.”

Usage

Usually functions as an intransitive verb in medical contexts.

Synonyms

04to lose rapidly

C1 · Advanced American English

v. to lose a large amount of something, especially money, in a way that is hard to stop.

v. to lose something in copious and detrimental quantities, typically in a financial or organizational context.

“The airline was hemorrhaging money every day while the planes were grounded.”

“The tech startup began hemorrhaging users after the controversial update, leading to a sharp decline in its market valuation.”

Usage

Often used transitively with 'money', 'cash', or 'jobs' as the object.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Real-World Examples

“Promising teenage Australian golfer Jessica Bang died after suffering a brain haemorrhage while preparing for a tournament in Thailand, her family and tour officials said.”
Al Jazeera 14 Aug 2026
“Promising Australian golfer Jessica Bang dies at the age of 18 after suffering a brain haemorrhage as she prepared for a tournament in Thailand.”
BBC News 14 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Latin haemorrhagia, from Ancient Greek αἱμορραγία (haimorrhagía, “a violent bleeding”), from αἱμορραγής (haimorrhagḗs, “bleeding violently”), from αἷμα (haîma, “blood”) + -ραγία (-ragía), from ῥηγνύναι (rhēgnúnai, “to break, burst”); see ῥήγνῡμῐ (rhḗgnūmĭ) for more.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

NOUN

hemorrhage(C1)

This entry

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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
Frequency
Occasional
Level
C1 · Advanced
Updated

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English Reference