Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“You have so much passion and such a bleeding heart. You believe not only in your films but what your films can do for people, and that is the most important thing that I have learned from you.”
- Actress Jennifer Lawrence on her Silver Linings Playbook director, David O. Russell.
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
extreme care for and sympathy toward others
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Do you know anyone who just cares so much about other people? These types of people are always volunteering their time for important causes, or giving money to charity, or just listening to strangers’ stories on the bus. They feel so much. It’s as if they can’t contain their hearts inside their bodies. Their hearts are bleeding compassion all over the place.
Usually you can just refer to someone as a bleeding heart. You don’t even need to add the word “person” afterwards. If you describe someone as a bleeding heart, your listeners should know that you are talking about the kind of person who just keeps on giving. You might also describe someone as a “bleeding-heart type.”
Actress Jennifer Lawrence uses the expression a bit more literally. Describing the director of her latest film (for which she just won an Oscar), she says that he literally has a bleeding heart. She’s still using it metaphorically, but she’s referring to the heart itself, rather than the whole person. She means that David O. Russell is one of those people who just wants to give back to other people. In this case, he does so with his films.
Do you know anyone who’s a bleeding heart? Do you think one should try to be this way, or does it have its drawbacks?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“She’s such a bleeding heart that I hope she remembers to take care of herself, too.”
“What a bleeding heart! She just gave 20 dollars to that person begging for money.”
“It’s weird. He’s such a bleeding heart-type, but he’s always dating really mean women.”