bloodsucking

[ bluhd-suhk-ing ]

adjective

1. being or relating to an animal or mythical being that feeds on blood:

   Bloodsucking insects are common in this part of the world.

   In the film, bloodsucking aliens descend on a small town.

2. being or relating to a person or organization who preys on, exploits, or takes advantage of others:

   He denounced his rival politicians as bloodsucking fraudsters living large on their constituents' money.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloodsucking¹

First recorded in 1545–55; blood ( def ) + suck ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

“Because somehow a bloodsucking vampire is more permissible than a dress,” she quips.

From Los Angeles Times

Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people.

From Seattle Times

Kluh and her team aren’t as worried about a mosquito invasion at the moment, but she said this is the time to take preventative measures ahead of warmer weather to stave off the bloodsucking insects.

From Los Angeles Times

Their skin is thick with tight fuzzed hair, which makes it less amenable to bloodsucking insects like mosquitoes.

From National Geographic

They’re not bloodsucking—like mosquitoes, ticks, or bedbugs—so they don’t seek us out.

From National Geographic