black-and-blue

[blak-uhn-bloo]

adjective

1. discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis.

   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

black-and-blue

adjective

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

2. feeling pain or soreness, as from a beating

Word History and Origins

Origin of black-and-blue¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Idioms and Phrases

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.

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

“You don’t have to be black-and-blue to be in a domestic violence situation,” she said.

From Seattle Times

“And that’s the reason that he’s gone/And left you black-and-blue.”

From New York Times

Back at T-Mobile Park on Monday afternoon, Moore lifted up his shirt to reveal the oversized black-and-blue welt under his left shoulder blade on Monday afternoon.

From Seattle Times

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

Related Words

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