bruise Definition
bruise (bro̵̅o̅z)
transitive verb bruised, bruis′·ing
- to injure (body tissue), as by a blow, without breaking the skin but causing discoloration
- to injure the surface or outside of, causing spoilage, denting, etc. bruised peaches, a bruised auto fender
- to crush with or as with mortar and pestle
- to hurt (the feelings, spirit, etc.)
Etymology: ME bruisen < OE brysan, to crush, pound < IE base *bhreus-, to smash, crush; ME form & meaning infl. by OFr bruisier, to break, shatter < Gaul *brus- < same IE base
intransitive verb
- to bruise tissue, a surface, etc.
- to be or become bruised
noun
- a bruised area of tissue, of a surface, etc.
- an injury to one's feelings, spirit, etc.
bruise Synonyms
bruise
n.
bruise Synonyms
bruise Usage Examples
Object
- reed: Precious picture of Him who would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.
- serpent: We could also see it as the moment of His greatest triumph when He indeed bruised the serpent 's head.
- rib: In my case, this took the form of a bruised rib, which is still a trifle painful.
- ego: The failure to agree a UN mandate for the war was poisonous debacle which left bruised egos all round.
- shin: Encourage a friend to smash you on the leg with a blunt instrument and then chuck a bucket of water at your bruised shins.
- ankle: Matt Everard Making steady progress from a badly bruised ankle.
Converse of object
- sustain: For a time I went about trying to trip myself up but did not manage to sustain even a bruise.
- suffer: Both Ms Wise and Mr McCarthy, a chemist from Waterford, Republic of Ireland, suffered bruises in the struggle.
Adjective modifier
- purple: There's just the very dark purple bruise on the inside of my left wrist of which the origin remains shrouded in drunken intrigue.
- nasty: Prentis Hancock has a nasty bruise under the nail of his forefinger which is still visible in The Last Sunset.
- severe: Severe bruises can be expected to take longer to heal.
- slight: There were some slight bruises on the head and body, but not sufficient to cause death.
- minor: Luckily nobody was hurt, apart from a few minor bruises.
- fresh: The rash may develop quickly into what look like fresh bruises.
Modifying Another Word
- badly: Matt Everard Making steady progress from a badly bruised ankle.
- terribly: Deceased had his skull fractured and was otherwise terribly bruised.
- severely: Traders holding high levels of stock are understood to have been severely bruised by the price drops.
- easily: Special care is taken with patients who are diabetic or those who bruise easily.
Followed by a transitive particle
around: Minor complications include bleeding or bruising around the skin cuts or bruising of the skin at the front of the abdomen.
Preposition: of
skin: Minor complications include bleeding or bruising around the skin cuts or bruising of the skin at the front of the abdomen.
Browse dictionary entries near bruise
- ‹ Bruin
- ‹ Brugge
- ‹ Bruegel
- ‹ Bruckner
- ‹ brucine
- ‹ Bruch
- ‹ brucellosis
- ‹ Bruce Frederick Cummings
- ‹ Bruce
- ‹ Brubeck

