Standard Lemma guide

bloodsucking

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈblʌdˌsʌkɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B L AH1 D S AH2 K IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That draws off the blood of another animal, or a person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

parasitic, leechlike or freeloading

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Parasitic, leechlike behavior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

drawing blood from the body of another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a plague of bloodsucking insects

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

of plants or persons; having the nature or habits of a parasite or leech; living off another

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a wealthy class parasitic upon the labor of the masses
  • parasitic vines that strangle the trees
  • bloodsucking blackmailer
  • his indolent leechlike existence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: parasitic, parasitical, leechlike

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic inh Proto-West Germanic gem-pro>*blōþą>blood Proto-West Germanic *blōd Old English blōd Middle English blood English blood English sucking English bloodsucking From blood + sucking.

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: blodsugende — that draws off blood
  • Hungarian: vérszívó — that draws off blood
  • Norwegian Bokmål: blodsugende — that draws off blood
  • Swedish: blodsugande — that draws off blood