Jump To:

• black-and-blue
  black-and-blue

  adjective

  discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis.
• black and blue
  black and blue

  Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

black-and-blue

American  

[blak-uhn-bloo] / ˈblæk ənˈblu /

adjective

1. discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis.

   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

---

black-and-blue British  

adjective

1. (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise

2. feeling pain or soreness, as from a beating

---

black and blue Idioms  

1. Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

---

Etymology

Origin of black-and-blue

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

The singer re-emerged wearing a sparkly black-and-blue outfit complete with roller skates as he introduced will.i.am for their collaboration OMG - a song title which reflected the crowd's reaction.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2024

Green-winged Inca jays, with yellow bellies and black-and-blue faces, fluttered and squawked in nearby branches, and a dazzling array of hummingbirds purred and thumped, jostling for space at assorted feeders.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

He rolled up to the tent outside the harborside hotel in a black-and-blue Bugatti Chiron, and he briefly delayed his first interview session to answer texts from his wife.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 2, 2022

Again, the black-and-blue color pairing is not the most pleasing to the eye, but actress Rose gets extra points here for matching her edgy hairstyle to her rainbow platform Crocs.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2020

A nasty black-and-blue swelled along his right cheek.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• ache
• bruise
• discomfort
• outrage
• pain
• suffering