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Synonyms

bruising

British  
/ ˈbruːzɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing bruises, as by a blow

  2. aggressively antagonistic; hurtful

    four months of bruising negotiation
"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

noun

  1. a bruise or bruises

"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

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.

Investors will need to rest up ahead of next week’s bruising slate of corporate earnings, economic data, and central bank policy meetings.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Seeing such games out has been a recurring problem for Newcastle during a bruising campaign.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Oh yeah, they’re bringing back longtime Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, a bruising inside force for 14 seasons.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

Although Newcastle reached the last 16 of the Champions League, and progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup for a third time in four seasons, this has been a bruising campaign for Howe's side.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

I notice some bruising underneath her eyes and my stomach clenches in anger.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

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.