bleeding money

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "bleeding money" is a valid part of written English.
It is a phrase used to refer to spending a lot of money quickly, or possibly spending more money than you can afford. For example, "After purchasing a new car, I was bleeding money for the first few months until I got used to my new budget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

After all, Little Joe was bleeding money.

The New York Times - Magazine

The project quickly began bleeding money.

The New York Times

Once-profitable journals are bleeding money and readers.

The Economist

"I'm not interested, you know, in bleeding money".

The New York Times

But as markets turned chaotic, the company began bleeding money.

The New York Times

"They were bleeding money," he said of the contractors.

The New York Times

"We were bleeding money, and nobody had really paid attention to it," Sands says.

Harvard Business Review

Symphonies were bleeding money and becoming even more dependent on donations.

Harvard Business Review

"The war is bleeding money, hemorrhaging money, away from cities like ours," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano.

The New York Times

That, of course, has left potential travelers scratching their heads and businesses bleeding money.

The Guardian

The insurers were bleeding money, and business groups complained about large premium increases.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "bleeding money" to vividly describe situations where financial resources are being rapidly depleted due to mismanagement, unforeseen circumstances, or unsustainable practices. For example, "The project was poorly managed and started "bleeding money" within months".

Common error

Avoid using "bleeding money" in situations where funds are intentionally being invested for long-term growth, even if there are short-term losses. The phrase implies uncontrolled and undesirable financial outflow.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bleeding money" functions as an idiomatic expression used to vividly describe a situation involving rapid and uncontrolled financial losses. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase effectively conveys the sense of an entity quickly losing substantial funds.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "bleeding money" is a common and vivid idiom used to describe the rapid and uncontrolled loss of financial resources. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is considered grammatically correct. This expression functions primarily to emphasize the severity and urgency of a financial situation, frequently appearing in News & Media, as well as Formal & Business contexts. While powerful, it should be used judiciously, avoiding contexts where funds are intentionally being invested. Alternatives like "losing money rapidly" or "hemorrhaging funds" can provide similar meanings with varying degrees of formality and intensity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hemorrhaging funds

Uses a similar medical metaphor to suggest a significant and uncontrolled outflow of money.

burning cash

Emphasizes the rapid consumption of available funds, particularly in startups or during periods of high expenditure.

losing money rapidly

This alternative is a more literal description of financial loss, lacking the idiomatic strength of the original phrase.

pouring money down the drain

Suggests that money is being wasted on something that is not producing any positive results.

incurring heavy losses

Focuses on the accounting aspect of loss, suitable in more formal business contexts.

draining resources

Highlights the depletion of available resources rather than direct monetary loss.

operating at a loss

Refers specifically to a business failing to generate profit, unlike the broader implication of "bleeding money".

out of pocket

Implies financial expenditure or loss, usually from a personal perspective and often unexpected.

going broke

Indicates the process of becoming bankrupt or completely out of money.

spending excessively

Focuses on overspending as the cause of financial strain, rather than the condition itself.

FAQs

How can I use "bleeding money" in a sentence?

You can use "bleeding money" to describe a situation where an organization or project is losing money rapidly, such as, "The company was "bleeding money" due to poor sales and high overhead costs."

What are some alternatives to "bleeding money"?

Alternatives to "bleeding money" include phrases like "losing money rapidly", "hemorrhaging funds", or "burning cash", depending on the specific context you wish to convey.

Is it appropriate to use "bleeding money" in formal writing?

While "bleeding money" is widely understood, it is generally more suitable for informal or journalistic contexts. In formal business or academic writing, consider using more neutral terms like "incurring heavy losses" or "operating at a loss".

What does it mean when someone says a business is "bleeding money"?

When a business is described as "bleeding money", it means the business is spending much more money than it is earning, and the situation is unsustainable and may lead to bankruptcy if not corrected.