bruising

adjective

bruis·​ing ˈbrü-ziŋ How to pronounce bruising (audio)
: arduous, taxing
a long and bruising courtroom battle

Examples of bruising in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The man for the job could be Achiuwa — or the team could prefer a more bruising presence in the middle of its second unit. Fred Katz, The Athletic, 4 July 2024 In many cases, however, voters appeared jaded by an election cycle that devolved into one of the most bruising and divisive in recent memory. Jesse McKinley, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2020 The new normal Friday marked an end to what has already been a bruising earnings season for the world’s largest oil companies. Katherine Dunn, Fortune, 1 May 2020 Marcus ends her book by wondering whether the neutral ideal of the court can survive the bruising battle of Kavanaugh’s confirmation process. John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, 7 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for bruising

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bruising was in 1872

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Cite this Entry

“Bruising.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bruising. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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