Bleed somebody dry Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Metaphoric Usage The phrase doesn't involve actual bleeding; it's a metaphor for taking all resources. The legal fees bled me dry; I've got nothing left. Pro Tip 2/3Negative Implication Used to express a negative situation where someone is exploited financially. After the divorce, Helen felt her ex-husband had bled her dry. Pro Tip 3/3Not Literal It's a figure of speech and isn't used in a literal sense of physical bleeding. The new tax policy is going to bleed our savings dry.