bruise
verb (used with object)
to injure by striking or pressing, without breaking the skin.
were 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.
They were bruising, but you learned more when you were wrong.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 13, 2020
Lucic and Simmonds were bruising body-checkers before they were steady point-producers; neither was expected to be the 20-plus goal-scorers they eventually became.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 30, 2016
Mother!' and she wist The tender eyes were blinded by the mist, And the rough stones were bruising the small feet.
From Alcyone by Archibald Lampman
As he spoke, Cynthia clenched her hands so tightly that the finger-nails were bruising her tender palms, but her eyes remained dry and her lips did not tremble.
From The Plastic Age by Percy Marks
Afterward he stood thus for an appreciable silence, with ravenous eyes, motionless save that behind his back his fingers were bruising one another.
From Chivalry by Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott
