SINCE 1828
bruise
verb
\ ˈbrüz
\
\
bruised;
bruising
Definition of bruise
(Entry 1 of 2)
2
: 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 2 sense 1) on : contuse
bruised her arm when he grabbed her
3
: to break down (leaves, berries, etc.) by pounding : crush
1
: to inflict a bruise
2
: to bear or show the effects of a bruise : to undergo bruising
her skin bruises easily
bruise
nounDefinition of bruise (Entry 2 of 2)
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Examples of bruise in a Sentence
Verb
She bruised her knee when she fell. I don't want to bruise anyone's feelings.Noun
He had a bad bruise on his leg after he fell. a bruise on an apple
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The day her son Abdalla came to her bruised from a beating at school. — Michele Aboud, Glamour, "Saudi Arabia Was the Last Place in the World to Allow Women to Drive. Manal al-Sharif Helped Change That.," 5 Nov. 2018 With trade tensions beginning to ease and the Federal Reserve having signaled a pause in interest-rate increases, stocks have regained ground this year following a bruising fourth-quarter selloff. — Jessica Menton, WSJ, "Dow Slips After Disappointing Retail Sales," 14 Feb. 2019 This is a major problem in strawberry fields and apple and peach orchards, where fruits are easily bruised and can often be occluded by leaves. — Jennifer Strong And Daniela Hernandez, WSJ, "Robots Head for the Fields," 1 Oct. 2018 Handle basil delicately so as not to bruise and blacken the leaves. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow Basil for Your Best Pesto Yet," 20 Aug. 2018 Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful. — Tyler Mitchell, Vogue, "Beyoncé in Her Own Words: Her Life, Her Body, Her Heritage," 6 Aug. 2018 The straphanger suffered bruising and swelling to his face. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "Person of interest ID'd in Times Square subway station attack," 2 Oct. 2018 She's exhausted from her journey from Scotland and bruised, both mentally and physically, following her rape at the hands of Stephen Bonnet. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Outlander's Sophie Skelton Talks About Brianna's Emotional Reunion with Claire and Jamie," 31 Dec. 2018 Hospital staff had documented an array of injuries to nine infants, including bruising, broken ribs, broken legs and a fractured skull. — Amy Lieu, Fox News, "Ex-nurse caused infants' broken bones, bruises, authorities say," 28 Sep. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Trainer Bob Baffert said Justify suffered a bruise on his left hind foot during that race but that all concerns were alleviated Thursday. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, "Justify gallops again at Churchill Downs as Preakness field develops," 11 May 2018 Police were called to the scene, according to the Star, and Goodman tells PEOPLE that her son allegedly suffered bruises and cuts to his face as a result of the accident. — Char Adams, ajc, "Toddler breaks $132,000 statue at community center — now the family is receiving death threats," 25 June 2018 Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane had requested Modric return to the club, while the other players suffered bruises or minor injuries during Croatia’s 2-0 loss to Peru on Friday in Miami. — Afp, chicagotribune.com, "Rakitic penalty kick earns Croatia a victory over Mexico," 28 Mar. 2018 Karman and her father, Charles Karman, 61, ran out of the theater while Celia Riggs tried to comfort her sobbing daughter, who suffered a bruise. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "A 2-year-old asked for popcorn. This moviegoer dumped a tub on her head, N.Y. cops say | The Sacramento Bee," 4 Mar. 2018 The next morning, after years of blood and blue bruises, my swollen mother called my father and told him to come and get me for good. — Anonymous, Good Housekeeping, "I Had to Choose Between Safety and My Mother," 21 Dec. 2018 Know where the nearest hospital is Young kids are prone to cuts, bumps, bruises, and upset tummies; older family members might have existing medical conditions, so bring along copies of any prescriptions. — David Jefferys, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to Survive a Family Vacation," 20 July 2018 But while the adoption of Devonte, Jeremiah and Ciera was pending, in September 2008, Hannah Hart told a teacher that Jennifer had hit her with a belt, leaving a bruise on her arm — the first public record of many allegations of abuse. — Washington Post, "Abuse, neglect and a system that failed: The tragic lives of the Hart children," 12 July 2018 Related stories from Fort Worth Star Telegram After foul ball leaves nasty bruise on parent, McKinney baseball park adds nets Jon Daniels sorts through Rangers’ Bartolo Colon dilemma A second chance three years later? — Jeff Wilson, star-telegram, "'It was ugly': Rangers minor league coach struck in face by line drive | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 24 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bruise.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for bruise
bruise
verb
English Language Learners Definition of bruise
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to cause a bruise on (part of a person's body, a piece of fruit, etc.)
: to get a bruise
: to hurt (someone's confidence, feelings, etc.) through speech or actions
bruise
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of bruise (Entry 2 of 2)
: a dark and painful area on your skin that is caused by an injury
: a dark area on a plant or piece of fruit that has been damaged
See the full definition for bruise in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bruise
verb
\ ˈbrüz
\
\
bruised;
bruising
Kids Definition of bruise
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to injure the flesh (as by a blow) without breaking the skin
bruise
nounKids Definition of bruise (Entry 2 of 2)
: a black-and-blue spot on the body or a dark spot on fruit caused by an injury or damage
bruise
verb
\ ˈbrüz
\
\
bruised;
bruising
Medical Definition of bruise
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to inflict a bruise on : contuse
: to undergo bruising
she bruises easily
bruise
nounMedical Definition of bruise (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: 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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