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bruiser

American  
[broo-zer] / ˈbru zər /

noun

Informal.

  1. a strong, tough person.

    The football player was over six feet tall and weighed 285 pounds—a real bruiser.
bruiser British  
/ ˈbruːzə /

noun

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of bruiser

First recorded in 1580–90; bruise + -er 1

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.

The apple’s signature foamy texture means it is an easy bruiser and doesn’t store as well as other varieties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2025

Edwards is a bruiser and Dobbins offers explosiveness.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2024

On that front, the tip of the spear is 7-foot bruiser Oumar Ballo, who averages 13 points and 10 rebounds a game, recording 33 putbacks this season, according to Hoop-Math.com.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

Yakuza 5, the most wide-ranging installment, features four other playable characters, including a bruiser who has recently escaped from prison and Kiryu’s adopted daughter, Haruka, an aspiring pop idol.

From New York Times • Jan. 23, 2024

She was kind of a faded lady, and he had a milder look than his bruiser boys.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

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.