bruise

[ brooz ]

/ bruz /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: bruise / bruised / bruising on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), bruised, bruis·ing.

to injure by striking or pressing, without breaking the skin: The blow bruised his arm. Her pinching bruised the peaches.

to injure or hurt slightly, as with an insult or unkind remark: to bruise a person's feelings.

to crush (drugs or food) by beating or pounding.

Metalworking. to injure the surface of (an ingot or finished object) by collision.

verb (used without object), bruised, bruis·ing.

to develop or bear a discolored spot on the skin as the result of a blow, fall, etc.

to become injured slightly: His feelings bruise easily.

noun

an injury due to bruising; contusion.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bruise

before 900; Middle English bro(o)sen, bres(s)en, bris(s)en, bruisen, representing Old English brȳsan, brēsan and Anglo-French bruser,Old French bruisier, akin to briser to break; see brisance

OTHER WORDS FROM bruise

un·bruised, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bruise

brews, bruise

Words nearby bruise

Bruges, Brugmann, brugmansia, Bruhn, bruin, bruise, bruiser, bruising, bruit, brulé, Brumaire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bruise in a sentence

A different woman living in a group home showed up to a day program with a bruise under her eye.
They Made a Revolutionary System to Protect People With Developmental Disabilities. Now It’s Falling Apart.|by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star|December 12, 2020|ProPublica
She had a bruise under her eye when she went to her day program.
This System Is Supposed to Protect People With Developmental Disabilities. It Is Falling Apart.|by Amy Silverman for Arizona Daily Star|December 12, 2020|ProPublica
Something to soak inNo matter how well you balance and how many pads you wear, you’re bound to pick up a few gnarly bruises as you learn to skate.
Glide into a new roller skater’s heart with these cool gifts|Rachel Feltman|December 2, 2020|Popular-Science
This Spigen Rugged Armor band and case is going to protect a smartwatch from any scrapes, scratches, bruises, or bumps that might occur.
Smartwatch accessories to give your high-tech friends and family|PopSci Commerce Team|October 1, 2020|Popular-Science

We found four kits that’ll help you take care of all the bumps, cuts, and bruises.
The best first aid kits for staying safe and prepared|PopSci Commerce Team|September 4, 2020|Popular-Science
Apparently there was a sex scene that was cut from the film with you and Kate Upton that left you with a huge bruise on your ass?
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on S&M with Kate Upton and that ‘Game of Thrones’ Rape Scene|Marlow Stern|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In contrast to gentle Eva, Naps liked to draw a little blood in bed, to bruise and be bruised in return.
Tallulah Bankhead: Gay, Drunk and Liberated in an Era of Excess Art|Judith Mackrell|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Obama and others press to raise the federal minimum wage about $7.25, skeptics say such a move could bruise the economy.
What Does an Increase in the Minimum Wage Do to the Economy?|Brandy Zadrozny|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So she got smacked and got a big bruise that she was very proud of.
‘Catching Fire’: How Jennifer Lawrence Learned to Shoot a Bow and Arrow|Kevin Fallon|November 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A woman in a cupcake of a wedding dress, with her wedding party behind her, stands against a frighteningly bruise-hued sky.
Photographer Raymond Depardon Captures the ‘Sweet Moments’|Sarah Moroz|November 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Many of us had been hit by the balls, but a bruise or a graze of the skin was the worst consequence that had ensued.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Whether it was rheumatism or a bruise or strain he did not know, but by the time he reached the river he was ready to drop.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail|Arthur R. Thompson
And he spurred away headlong, his bruise nowhere, one horrible thought mastering all.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
Men like me dont bruise— he hesitated a moment, patted her hand, and said softly, guardian angels.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
When I came to myself, I was lying on my back in the grass, feeling a dull ache all over me, as from a bad bruise.
Dream Tales and Prose Poems|Ivan Turgenev

British Dictionary definitions for bruise

bruise

/ (bruːz) /

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr) to injure (tissues) without breaking the skin, usually with discoloration, or (of tissues) to be injured in this way

to offend or injure (someone's feelings) by an insult, unkindness, etc

to damage the surface of (something), as by a blow

to crush (food, etc) by pounding or pressing

noun

a bodily injury without a break in the skin, usually with discoloration; contusion

Word Origin for bruise

Old English brӯsan, of Celtic origin; compare Irish brūigim I bruise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bruise

Origin of bruise

OTHER WORDS FROM bruise

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bruise

Words nearby bruise

Words related to bruise

How to use bruise in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bruise

Word Origin for bruise