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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.

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

A bruising draw in the Battle of the Bridge ended Tottenham's hopes before they lost their final two games to slip to third.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Kraft Heinz had tapped Cahillane in December to oversee the strategic shift after a bruising decade for one of the world’s largest food companies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Nowruz, which is celebrated by hundreds of millions worldwide and involves 13 days of festivities, follows a particularly bruising year for Iranians.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Vanderbilt, also wound up with stress, blew off steam in bruising morning football games with the exercise boys.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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.