Word
bruising
Phoneticsbruis·ing
US/ˈbɹuzɪŋ/
UK/bɹˈuːzɪŋ/
Definition
adj. showing dark marks on the skin from an injury. It can also describe a very difficult experience that leaves you feeling hurt or tired.
adj. describing an injury that results in discoloured skin from ruptured blood vessels, or metaphorically, an experience that is psychologically or physically punishing. Often used attributively to describe difficult competitions or negotiations.
Examples
“The players had a bruising match on Saturday.”
“After a bruising primary campaign, the candidate struggled to unite the different factions of her party.”
“The company emerged from the bruising legal battle with its reputation intact, though its financial reserves were significantly depleted by the years of litigation.”
Examples
simple
“The players had a bruising match on Saturday.”
contextual
“After a bruising primary campaign, the candidate struggled to unite the different factions of her party.”
complex
“The company emerged from the bruising legal battle with its reputation intact, though its financial reserves were significantly depleted by the years of litigation.”
Usage
Typically used as an adjective to describe physical injuries or intense, damaging experiences.
Real-World Examples
“Instead, it was another bruising result for the new manager, Eva Olid, and her side after an underwhelming performance in their 2-1 defeat against London City Lionesses in the opening game of the season.” “We are all more prone to bruising as we get older, and you see that a lot in people that take aspirin and other blood-thinning agents.” Etymology
From bruise + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bruising