- present participle of bruise.
bruising
Britishadjective
-
causing bruises, as by a blow
-
aggressively antagonistic; hurtful
four months of bruising negotiation
noun
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.
Going to prison meant many things: an immediate loss of freedom, bruising reputational damage and powerlessness over how it would affect my family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
After a bruising and sometimes bitter campaign, El-Sayed hinted at bridge-building when he addressed supporters on Tuesday night, before the outcome was known.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
When his children complain about a newspaper article, he reminds them that he endured worse at their age, when he was fighting bruising corporate battles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Langton's scans showed swelling and bruising, results which meant he was allowed to leave hospital on Saturday night.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
I held my hands up to my face and felt the heel of my shoe bruising my hands.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
