hemorrhage

1 of 2

noun

hem·​or·​rhage ˈhe-mə-rij 

ˈhem-rij

1

medical : a copious or heavy discharge of blood from the blood vessels

a cerebral hemorrhage

postpartum hemorrhage

stop the hemorrhage

2

: a rapid and uncontrollable loss or outflow

a financial hemorrhage

hemorrhagic

ˌhe-mə-ˈra-jik 

adjective

hemorrhage

2 of 2

verb

hemorrhaged; hemorrhaging

intransitive verb

: to undergo heavy or uncontrollable bleeding

began to hemorrhage after the surgery

transitive verb

: to lose rapidly and uncontrollably

The company is hemorrhaging money.

Did you know?

A hemorrhage usually results from either a severe blow to the body or from medication being taken for something else. Though many hemorrhages aren't particularly serious, those that occur in the brain (cerebral hemorrhages) can be life-threatening. In older people, hemorrhages are often caused by blood-thinning medication taken to prevent heart attacks. A bruise (or hematoma) is a hemorrhage close enough to the surface of the skin to be visible. Hemorrhage is also a verb, which isn't always used to talk about actual blood; thus, we may hear that a business is hemorrhaging money, or that the U.S. has been hemorrhaging industrial jobs for decades. Be careful when writing hemorrhage; it's not an easy word to spell.

Examples of hemorrhage in a Sentence

Noun

The patient suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

There is a possibility of hemorrhage with the procedure.

Verb

The patient began to hemorrhage after the surgery.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This injures your nerve fibers and compromises your blood-brain barrier by introducing small hemorrhages (bleeding). —Janelle McSwiggin, Msn, Health, 29 Nov. 2024

In 2019, trauma surgeon researcher Leslie Kobayashi and her colleagues recorded that during a 13-month period, over half of all intracranial hemorrhages and fractures in their operating rooms were related to e-scooter injuries. —Michelle Weinberg, Sun Sentinel, 26 Nov. 2024

Verb

Stellantis’s rejig represents a major overhaul designed to turn around the fortunes of the carmaker, which has hemorrhaged market share in the U.S. after hiking prices on its U.S.-focused Jeep, Ram, and Chrysler brands. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 11 Oct. 2024

In the days following Trump’s loss, Fox News started hemorrhaging viewers to Newsmax, a smaller cable rival run by Trump ally Chris Ruddy and hosted by a roster of pro-Trump personalities. —Marshall Cohen, CNN, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Latin haemorrhagia, from Greek haimorrhagia, from haimo- hem- + -rrhagia

First Known Use

Noun

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1928, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

hemorrhage

1 of 2 noun

hem·​or·​rhage ˈhem-(ə-)rij 

: a great loss of blood from the blood vessels especially when caused by injury

hemorrhagic

ˌhem-ə-ˈraj-ik 

adjective

hemorrhage

2 of 2 verb

hemorrhaged; hemorrhaging

: to bleed heavily or uncontrollably

Medical Definition

hemorrhage

1 of 2 noun

hem·​or·​rhage

variants or chiefly British haemorrhage

ˈhem-(ə-)rij 

: a copious discharge of blood from the blood vessels

hemorrhagic adjective

or chiefly British haemorrhagic

ˌhem-ə-ˈraj-ik 

hemorrhage

2 of 2 intransitive verb

variants or chiefly British haemorrhage

hemorrhaged; hemorrhaging

: to undergo heavy or uncontrollable bleeding