bruise
verb (used with object)
to injure by striking or pressing, without breaking the skin.
was bruising
-
past progressiveof bruise.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
But he was bruising and effective in Griffith’s grandest aria, “What makes a man a man,” near the end of Act I.
From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2023
He said the confrontational process was bruising with lawyers trying to discredit him.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
His defeat was bruising and dispiriting, and he would have faced the same problems of fighting an intense constituency battle while also leading a national campaign, wherever he might have run this time.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2019
“The reception that President Obama and his staff got when they arrived here Saturday afternoon was bruising, even by Chinese standards,” the New York Times reported.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 3, 2016
There was bruising around one of his eyes, but he was definitely staring at her, and if it weren’t for his heart, she wouldn’t have known what to make of the expression.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
