What does hemorrhaging mean?
Hemorrhaging means bleeding profusely, usually as the result of serious injury or damage to a blood vessel. It is most familiar in medical contexts, where it describes a dangerous loss of blood requiring urgent treatment. The word also has an established figurative use: an organization, business, or government that is “hemorrhaging money,” “hemorrhaging employees,” or “hemorrhaging support” is losing those resources rapidly and with little control. This figurative sense is especially common in journalism and business reporting. Although “hemorrhaging” is sometimes treated as an adjective before a noun, it is most often used as a present participle with a form of “to be,” such as “the patient is hemorrhaging.” The related noun is “hemorrhage,” and British English commonly uses the spelling “haemorrhaging.” Recognizing both the literal and figurative uses makes the word especially memorable and useful in formal writing.
To bleed profusely, especially as a result of injury; also, to lose money, personnel, or other resources rapidly.
"The artery was hemorrhaging when the surgeon reached it."
Usually intransitive and often used in medical, journalistic, and financial prose.
Bleeding profusely; figuratively, characterized by rapid and uncontrolled loss.
"A hemorrhaging wound was treated immediately."
Hemorrhage literally means “blood-flow”: Greek haima means “blood,” and rhein means “to flow.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hemorrhaging come from?
Hemorrhaging was formed in English by adding the present-participle suffix “-ing” to “hemorrhage.” The English word comes through Latin haemorrhagia from Greek haimorrhagia, formed from haima, meaning “blood,” and rhein, meaning “to flow.” Related English forms include “hemorrhage,” “hemorrhagic,” and the British spelling variant “haemorrhage.”
Related word forms
How hemorrhaging is actually used
The word is formal and commonly associated with medicine, journalism, finance, and organizational decline. It is usually intransitive and often used with forms of “to be.” British English commonly spells it “haemorrhaging,” while the pronunciation is essentially unchanged.
Easily confused with hemorrhaging
A hemorrhoid is a swollen vein in the anal or rectal area, whereas hemorrhaging refers to profuse bleeding.