Definition

1. Noun:

   • An injury to the skin or underlying tissue, typically caused by impact, that does not break the skin but results in discoloration (often blue, purple, or yellow) due to bleeding beneath the surface.

2. Verb (transitive):

   • To cause a bruise on (skin, tissue, or fruit) by impact, pressure, or abrasion.
   • To crush or pound (something, especially food) into small pieces or a pulp.
   • To hurt (someone's feelings); to injure emotionally.
   • To damage (plant tissue) without breaking the skin.

3. Verb (intransitive):

   • To become bruised; to develop a bruise.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She had a large, purple bruise on her arm from the fall.
  • The peach had a dark bruise where it had been dropped.

• Verb (transitive):

  • Be careful not to bruise the apples when you pack them.
  • He bruised his shin on the edge of the coffee table.
  • Her harsh criticism bruised his ego.
  • Bruise the mint leaves gently to release their flavor.

• Verb (intransitive):

  • Bananas bruise very easily.
  • Her skin bruises at the slightest touch.

Advanced Usage

• "to bruise easily": Describes a person or fruit that develops bruises with minimal force.
  • Some people bruise easily due to medical conditions.
• "bruised and battered": An idiom describing someone or something that is physically injured and worn out, often used figuratively.
  • The team emerged from the tournament bruised and battered but proud.

Variants and Related Words

• Bruiser (noun): A large, strong, aggressive person.
  • He was a real bruiser who played rugby.
• Bruising (adjective/noun):
  • As an adjective: Causing or involving bruises; physically demanding or harsh.

    • It was a bruising encounter on the football field.
  • As a noun: The collective condition of having bruises.

    • The patient suffered extensive bruising.

Synonyms

• Noun: Contusion, black-and-blue mark, ecchymosis (medical).
• Verb (to injure): Contuse, injure, hurt.
• Verb (to crush): Crush, pound, mash, pulp.
• Verb (to hurt feelings): Hurt, wound, offend, injure.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions

• Bruise up (informal): To cause multiple bruises on someone or something.
  • The boxer got badly bruised up in the fight.
• To be bruised (figurative): To be emotionally hurt or damaged.
  • He was still bruised from the breakup.

Related Idioms

• "Bruise one's ego": To hurt someone's pride or self-esteem.
  • Losing the competition bruised his ego.
• "Bruise along (archaic/rare)": To move rapidly or forcefully. (Note: This usage is now very uncommon.)
  • The old car bruised along the dirt road.

Noun

1. an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration

Verb

1. damage (plant tissue) by abrasion or pressure
   • The customer bruised the strawberries by squeezing them
2. break up into small pieces for food preparation
   • bruise the berries with a wooden spoon and strain them
3. hurt the feelings of
   • She hurt me when she did not include me among her guests
   • This remark really bruised my ego
4. injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of
   • I bruised my knee