How to Use Bleeded* or Bled? (Irregular Verb Conjugations)

First published on December 18, 2022 by Dalia Y.|Last revised on January 15, 2025

Bleed is in the present tense. Bled is the simple past and the past participle. ‍

How to Use Bleeded* or Bled? (Irregular Verb Conjugations)

Forms of bleed in conversation. — Forms of *bleed* in conversation.

What's the past tense of "bleed"?

The simple past tense of bleed is bled, and the past participle is also bled. Use bled for both simple past and past participle forms.

Definition of bleed

The Oxford English Dictionary defines bleed as "to lose blood from the body as a result of injury or illness." It's used in various contexts, from physical bleeding to metaphorical expressions.

The past tense of bleed is bled.

The past participle of bleed is bled.

Verb forms of 'bleed'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they bleed • He/she/it bleeds

Past

I/you/they bled • He/she/it bled

Future

I/you/they will bleed • He/she/it will bleed

Present

I am/you are bleeding • He/she/it is bleeding

Past

I was/you were bleeding • He/she/it was bleeding

Future

I/you will be bleeding • He/she/it will be bleeding

Present

I/you have bled • He/she/it has bled

Past

I/you had bled • He/she/it had bled

Future

I/you will have bled • He/she/it will have bled

Present

I have been bleeding • He/she/it has been bleeding

Past

I had been bleeding • He/she/it had been bleeding

Future

I will have been bleeding • He/she/it will have been bleeding

Is "bleed" a regular or irregular verb?

Answer: Bleed is an irregular verb— its past conjugations are bled in all cases.

Note: Regular verbs end in -ed in the past tense. Any other verb ending is considered irregular.

The verb bleed is irregular. Its past tense and past participle forms are both bled, not "bleeded." This is a pattern shared with a small group of English verbs, and it's important to recognize when using "bleed" in different contexts.

bleed

Past: bled

Past part: bled

When to use "bled" (past) vs. "bled" (participle)

The cut bled for a few minutes.

She has bled from that wound before.

The participle form of a verb (shown in the second sentence) uses the auxiliary verb have.

When auxiliaries like have or had appear in the same sentence as a past participle verb form, this indicates that the verb's aspect is in the present or past perfect, and not the simple past tense.

Remember, a participle always uses a helper verb to form the complete tense or aspect. Simple tenses, on the other hand, can stand on their own.

Sentence examples: bleed, bled, bled

Bleed (present tense)

• The cut will bleed if you don't bandage it.

• She bleeds easily from small cuts.

• The wound continues to bleed heavily.

Bled (past simple)

• He bled on the floor.

• The wound bled for hours.

• You bled on my tie and puked on my shoes.

Bled (present or past perfect)

• The patient had bled profusely.

• The wound has bled all over his shirt.

• The oil tank had been bled earlier.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for bleed

hemorrhage lose blood shed blood drain flow seep ooze trickle

Nearby phrases

bleed out bleed dry bleed to death bleed profusely bleed heavily bleed internally

Origin of the word bleed

Old English bledan, "cause to lose blood, to let blood" (in Middle English and after, especially "to let blood from surgically"), also (intransitive) "emit blood," from Proto-Germanic *blodjan "emit blood".

Practice: ‘Bleed’ conjugations

FAQs

What is the past tense of "bleed"?

The past tense of "bleed" is "bled."

Is "bleeded" ever correct?

No, "bleeded" is not a correct English word. The correct form is "bled."

How is "bled" used in sentences?

"Bled" is used as both the simple past tense ("The cut bled for a few minutes.") and the past participle ("She has bled from that wound before.").

Why is "bleed" considered irregular?

"Bleed" is irregular because its simple past form "bled" involves a vowel change ("ee" to "e") and respelling, not just adding -ed to the base like regular verbs do.

What are the other forms of "bleed"?

Other forms include "bleed" (present), "bleeds" (3rd person singular present), and "bleeding" (present participle). "Bled" covers simple past and past participle.

Sources

"Bleed, V." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/4565462679.
Huddleston, Rodney, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language." Cambridge University Press, 2002. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.