Meaning
leech; bloodsucker
- bloodsucking aquatic worm (Hirudinea)
- greedy, exploitative person who drains others of money or energy
In a sentence
I medici usavano le sanguisughe per praticare salassi nei secoli scorsi.
Doctors used leeches to perform bloodletting in past centuries.
Quel finto amico si è rivelato una sanguisuga che gli chiedeva sempre denaro.
That fake friend turned out to be a leech who was always asking him for money.
Non lasciare che quelle sanguisughe approfittino della tua generosità.
Do not let those leeches take advantage of your generosity.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| sanguisuga | feminine · singular |
| sanguisughe | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- The plural is sanguisughe (spelled with -ghe to preserve the hard /ɡ/ sound).
- Often used figuratively to describe predatory creditors or clingy people.