bruiser

[broo-zer]

See more synonyms for bruiser on Thesaurus.com

noun Informal.

a strong, tough person: The football player was over six feet tall and weighed 285 pounds—a real bruiser.

Origin of bruiser

First recorded in 1580–90; bruise + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for bruiser

thug, rough, hooligan, prizefighter, warrior, champion, mercenary, assailant, militant, soldier, boxer, combatant, opponent, tanker, warlord, crook, racketeer, bandit, mobster, hoodlum

Examples from the Web for bruiser

Contemporary Examples of bruiser

He is tough, a Scottish bruiser when it comes to a knuckle fight.
Florida on the Thames
Tina Brown
May 7, 2010

Historical Examples of bruiser

You will find her serviceable; she's a bruiser's lass and something above it.
The Amazing Marriage, Complete
George Meredith
Expert electrician, mechanic, sport spoiler and bruiser, eh?
Radio Boys Loyalty
Wayne Whipple
That smile was enough to infuriate the bruiser beyond description.
Frank Merriwell's Triumph
Burt L. Standish
The man declared that he was not a bruiser, and refused to stir.
The Memoirs of Harriette Wilson, Volumes One and Two
Harriette Wilson
"I reckon as 'ow 'e's a bit of a bruiser," was the not unexpected reply.
Billy Barcroft, R.N.A.S.
Percy F. Westerman

British Dictionary definitions for bruiser

bruiser

noun

informal a strong tough person, esp a boxer or a bully

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

Word Origin and History for bruiser

"a pugilist," 1744, agent noun from bruise (v.).