bruised; bruising
1
: to inflict an injury involving rupture of small blood vessels and discoloration without a break in the overlying skin or a similar injury to plant tissue : to inflict a bruise (see bruise entry 1 sense 1) on : contuse
bruised her arm when he grabbed her
2
: to break down (leaves, berries, etc.) by pounding : crush
3
1
: to bear or show the effects of a bruise : to undergo bruising
her skin bruises easily
2
: to inflict a bruise
Synonyms
Examples of bruise in a Sentence
Noun
He had a bad bruise on his leg after he fell.
a bruise on an apple
Verb
She bruised her knee when she fell.
I don't want to bruise anyone's feelings.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
Another possible cause may be a bone bruise of the kneecap or end of the femur.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Alexander was shut down after suffering a left rib stress reaction that team is calling a deep bruise.
—Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Investigators reportedly observed a red bruise above the victim's right eye.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024
With Westbrook’s anticipated return, all the Clippers need to be whole is for Norman Powell to return from a lower leg bruise that has kept the star sixth man out the last three games.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
The cube is also mindfully designed with curved corners to help prevent bumps and bruises.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
And in the end, the city survived both those fights, mostly playing defense and collecting some bruises.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024
The new government documents say the following: Buckner was spotted multiple times with bruises, scarring and burn marks, including at hospitals and her apartment.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Dogs can suffer severe bruising, deep puncture wounds, and broken bones.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Images of her bruising were also included in the complaint.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh off his bruising loss in the proxy fight against The Walt Disney Co., the activist investor Nelson Peltz appeared on CNBC to discuss the fight in a conversation with Jim Cramer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
This means the treatment can trigger things like constipation, pain and nerve problems, diarrhea, skin changes, mood swings, mouth sores, and bruising and bleeding throughout each cycle, Dr. Avila says.
—Julia Sullivan, SELF, 25 Mar. 2024
Three weeks later, Papini reappeared on the side of a highway in Yolo County, bruised and emaciated, with her long blond hair sheared short and right shoulder branded.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Four of the suspects – all citizens of the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan – appeared battered and bruised in a Moscow court on Sunday, with one in a wheelchair appearing unresponsive.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Monitoring: The victim should be closely monitored for signs of complications, such as swelling, bruising, bleeding, difficulty breathing, changes in heart rate or organ failure.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
Brogdon felt a sharp, searing pain as a bullet tore through his lower torso — below the bulletproof vest that would have otherwise left him with a painful bruise.
—The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024
Another possible cause may be a bone bruise of the kneecap or end of the femur.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Alexander was shut down after suffering a left rib stress reaction that team is calling a deep bruise.
—Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024
Investigators reportedly observed a red bruise above the victim's right eye.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024
With Westbrook’s anticipated return, all the Clippers need to be whole is for Norman Powell to return from a lower leg bruise that has kept the star sixth man out the last three games.
—Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
The cube is also mindfully designed with curved corners to help prevent bumps and bruises.
—Julie Evans, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024
And in the end, the city survived both those fights, mostly playing defense and collecting some bruises.
—Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024
The new government documents say the following: Buckner was spotted multiple times with bruises, scarring and burn marks, including at hospitals and her apartment.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Cold therapy constricts blood vessels to reduce inflammation, numbs nerve endings for pain relief, and slows circulation to prevent bruising.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024
Dogs can suffer severe bruising, deep puncture wounds, and broken bones.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Images of her bruising were also included in the complaint.
—Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Fresh off his bruising loss in the proxy fight against The Walt Disney Co., the activist investor Nelson Peltz appeared on CNBC to discuss the fight in a conversation with Jim Cramer.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Apr. 2024
This means the treatment can trigger things like constipation, pain and nerve problems, diarrhea, skin changes, mood swings, mouth sores, and bruising and bleeding throughout each cycle, Dr. Avila says.
—Julia Sullivan, SELF, 25 Mar. 2024
Three weeks later, Papini reappeared on the side of a highway in Yolo County, bruised and emaciated, with her long blond hair sheared short and right shoulder branded.
—Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Four of the suspects – all citizens of the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan – appeared battered and bruised in a Moscow court on Sunday, with one in a wheelchair appearing unresponsive.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Monitoring: The victim should be closely monitored for signs of complications, such as swelling, bruising, bleeding, difficulty breathing, changes in heart rate or organ failure.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bruise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bruise
Cite this Entry
“Bruise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bruise. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bruise
1 of 2 verb
bruised; bruising
1
a
: to cause a bruise on
b
: to become bruised
2
: to crush (as leaves or berries) by pounding
3
: to hurt the feelings of
bruise
2 of 2 noun1
: an injury (as from a blow) in which the skin is not broken but is discolored from the breaking of small blood vessels that lie underneath the skin : contusion
2
: an injury to a plant or fruit that resembles a bruise
Medical Definition
bruise
2 of 2 noun1
: an injury transmitted through unbroken skin to underlying tissue causing rupture of small blood vessels and escape of blood into the tissue with resulting discoloration : contusion
2
: an injury especially to the feelings
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