bruise
Americanverb (used with object)
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to injure by striking or pressing, without breaking the skin.
The blow bruised his arm. Her pinching bruised the peaches.
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to injure or hurt slightly, as with an insult or unkind remark.
to bruise a person's feelings.
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to crush (drugs or food) by beating or pounding.
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Metalworking. to injure the surface of (an ingot or finished object) by collision.
verb (used without object)
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to develop or bear a discolored spot on the skin as the result of a blow, fall, etc.
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to become injured slightly.
His feelings bruise easily.
noun
verb
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(also intr) to injure (tissues) without breaking the skin, usually with discoloration, or (of tissues) to be injured in this way
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to offend or injure (someone's feelings) by an insult, unkindness, etc
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to damage the surface of (something), as by a blow
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to crush (food, etc) by pounding or pressing
noun
Other Word Forms
- unbruised adjective
Etymology
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; brisance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Older job seekers explained how they broke through a bruising job market.
She spoke softly with her blonde hair tied back in a bun while her lawyers asked that she be given proper medical treatment, including an xray of potentially bruised ribs and a fracture.
From BBC
His right hand shows persistent bruising, often covered with thick makeup and at times a bandage, and his ankles have appeared swollen.
From Barron's
Infection, severe bruising, asymmetry, dryness, prolonged swelling or difficulty closing eyes completely are all possible, says Tsai—and not everyone is a good candidate, despite what your feed might suggest.
The large dose of aspirin he chooses to take daily has caused him to bruise easily, he said, and he has been encouraged by his doctors to take a lower dose.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
