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
It was some time before he would admit to himself that he was becoming a little tired, and that the stones and twigs in the way were bruising his bare feet perceptibly.
From The Road to Paris by Robert Neilson Stephens
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
So he stood thus for an appreciable silence, staying motionless save that behind his back his fingers were bruising one another.
From Chivalry by James Branch Cabell
