What does "bruise" mean?
A purplish mark on the skin due to leakage of blood from capillaries under the surface that have been damaged by a blow.
Bruise
noun, verb
noun, verb ·1 syllable ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A purplish mark on the skin due to leakage of blood from capillaries under the surface that have been damaged by a blow.
- Grammar: bruise is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: contusion, abrasion, abuse, aggrieve.
- Useful contrasts: advantage, benefit, enhance.
- Usage evidence: My whole body was one big bruise after the rugby game.
How to use "bruise"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bruise" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bruise" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bruise" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bruise" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bruise" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "contusion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bruise", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A purplish mark on the skin due to leakage of blood from capillaries under the surface that have been damaged by a blow.
- 2 an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration wordnet
- 3 A dark mark on fruit or vegetables caused by a blow to the surface.
Verb
- 1 To strike (a person), originally with something flat or heavy, but now specifically in such a way as to discolour the skin without breaking it; to contuse. transitive
"It is as I have spoken: the testing first, next the bruising, and in the last bout the breaking and killing."
- 2 damage (plant tissue) by abrasion or pressure wordnet
- 3 To damage the skin of (fruit or vegetables), in an analogous way. transitive
- 4 break up into small pieces for food preparation wordnet
- 5 Of fruit or vegetables, to gain bruises through being handled roughly. intransitive
"Bananas bruise easily."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of wordnet
- 7 To become bruised. intransitive
"I bruise easily."
- 8 hurt the feelings of wordnet
- 9 To fight with the fists; to box. intransitive
"Bruising was considered a fine, manly, old English custom."
- 10 To harm or injure somebody's feelings or self-esteem. figuratively, transitive
"Her thoughtless remarks bruised my ego."
- 11 To impair (gin) by shaking rather than stirring. transitive
Example
"My whole body was one big bruise after the rugby game."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bruise"?
Common synonyms include: contusion, abrasion, abuse, aggrieve, anguish, assault.
How do you use "bruise" in a sentence?
My whole body was one big bruise after the rugby game.
Etymology
From Middle English bruisen, brusen, brosen, brisen, bresen, from a merger two words, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to break”): * Old English brȳsan, brīesan (“to bruise; crush”), from Proto-Germanic *brausijaną, *brūsijaną (“to break; crumble; crack”). Provided the word's sense. * Anglo-Norman bruiser, bruser (“to break, smash, shatter”), from Gaulish *brus-, from Proto-Celtic *bruseti (“to break”). Provided the word's form. Cognate with Scots brizz, German brausen (“to roar; boom; pound”), Old English brosnian (“to crumble, fall apart”), Dutch broos (“brittle”), German Brosame (“crumb”), dialectal Norwegian brøysk (“breakable”), Latin frustum (“bit, scrap”), Old Church Slavonic бръснути (brŭsnuti, “to rake”), Albanian breshër (“hail”).