bleach

American  

[bleech] / blitʃ /

verb (used with object)

• bleaches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bleached,
  past participle,  past
• bleaching
  present participle

1. to make whiter or lighter in color, such as by exposure to sunlight or a chemical agent; remove the color from.

   Do you think she bleaches her hair?

2. to cause (coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   In sufficient concentrations, the chemicals in certain sunscreens can bleach coral.

3. Photography. to convert (the silver image of a negative or print) to a silver halide, either to remove the image or to change its tone.

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verb (used without object)

• bleaches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bleached,
  past participle,  past
• bleaching
  present participle

1. to become whiter or lighter in color.

   The grass in the fields gradually bleached as winter approached, leaving the landscape pale and drab.

2. (of coral) to undergo a loss of color that indicates declining health: caused by a loss of the algae that normally live symbiotically in the coral’s tissues.

   Coral reefs are bleaching due to ocean pollution and rising sea temperatures.

noun

• bleaches
  plural

1. a bleaching agent.

2. an act of bleaching.

3. degree of paleness achieved in bleaching.

bleach British  

/ bliːtʃ /

verb

1. to make or become white or colourless, as by exposure to sunlight, by the action of chemical agents, etc

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noun

1. a bleaching agent

2. the degree of whiteness resulting from bleaching

3. the act of bleaching

bleach Scientific  

/ blēch /

1. A chemical agent used to whiten or remove color from textiles, paper, food, and other substances and materials. Chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide are bleaches. Bleaches remove color by oxidation or reduction.

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Synonym Usage

See whiten.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bleachability
  noun
• bleacher
  noun
• nonbleach
  noun
• overbleach
  verb
• rebleach
  verb
• bleachable
  adjective
• half-bleached
  adjective
• semibleached
  adjective
• unbleached
  adjective
• unbleaching
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bleaches
  plural

Participles

• bleaching
  present
• bleached
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bleach
  simple
• bleaches
  simple
• have bleached
  perfect
• has bleached
  perfect
• am bleaching
  progressive
• are bleaching
  progressive
• is bleaching
  progressive
• have been bleaching
  perfect progressive
• has been bleaching
  perfect progressive

Past

• bleached
  simple
• had bleached
  perfect
• was bleaching
  progressive
• were bleaching
  progressive
• had been bleaching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bleach
  simple
• will have bleached
  perfect
• will be bleaching
  progressive
• will have been bleaching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bleach

First recorded before 1050; Middle English blechen, Old English blǣcean, derivative of blāc “pale”; cognate with Old Norse bleikja, Old High German bleichēn

Explanation

To bleach is to whiten, or to strip of color. After many summers of use, the sun will bleach your favorite beach towel. You might bleach your white laundry, or bleach your dark brown hair until it's pale blonde. In both cases, you use bleach, a strong chemical solution that can often be found in laundry rooms and hair salons. The Old English root word is blæcan, "bleach" or "whiten," from a Germanic source it curiously shares with the word black.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bleach bleaches bleached bleaching

If you keep feeding wild birds, it’s vital to regularly clean all feeding surfaces and equipment using domestic bleach.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

"I measured quite low, even though my OCD means when I am triggered, I'm cleaning for two to three hours with pure bleach and I'm gasping for air," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Investigators also found broken glass scattered through the home, a shattered microwave, and bleach wipes and spray bottles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026

In 2017, they bought a former steel works and an abandoned bleach factory next door for $25 million and started hosting the Mirage in the lot between them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

It had been new when she’d put him on bleach duty.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

If your husband won’t take this responsibility, if instead he dumps the anxiety on you, then that’s what needs attention — not the specifics of who bleaches the house.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2022

Coral bleaches as a response to heat stress and scientists hope most of the coral will recover from the latest event.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

At altitudes less than 1 km in the atmosphere, conditions are relatively warm and humid so smoke particles are often not very viscous and brown carbon bleaches quickly.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2022

Dr. DiCaprio does not recommend special produce washes, bleaches or detergents.

From New York Times ● Jun. 29, 2021

It lightens the polish to a bright vomit green and bleaches the carpet surrounding it.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

The section “Skeletal Embodiment,” in which all the featured garments and objects are shades of bleached bone, blanched coral and fossil gray, is simultaneously prehistoric and futuristic—a realm of deep time in both directions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Then I went through another breakup and shaved my head and bleached it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Nicknamed El Fulo – The Blond – for his bleached hair, Martinez has also stood out for his energy and tenacity at this World Cup.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

"If you're being bleached before you've even recovered and been able to produce juveniles again, then that's only a downwards trajectory from there," said Oakley.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

Taryn and I walk past the Lake of Masks and through the far corner of the Milkwood, picking our way past the pale, silvery trunks and bleached leaves.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

Scientists have already connected them with widespread coral bleaching, large-scale deaths of marine organisms, harmful algal blooms and major disruptions to fisheries and aquaculture.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

By manipulating each tank's temperature and pH levels, scientists can simulate future heatwaves and induce coral bleaching to see how fish and other organisms adapt.

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

Wildfires, floods, melting ice caps, heat waves, the bleaching of ocean reefs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Nolasco said a taper is the favorite haircut these days and there’s also players bleaching their hair blond for the playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2026

Deciding that the moonlight must be bleaching it, Celaena shielded the spot with her hand.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Related Words

• lighten