bruising: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral; used in both formal medical contexts and informal everyday speech.
Quick answer
What does “bruising” mean?
An injury causing discolouration of the skin without breaking it, caused by a blow or impact.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An injury causing discolouration of the skin without breaking it, caused by a blow or impact.
A difficult or hurtful experience that causes emotional or psychological damage, like a physical bruise. Also used figuratively to describe a fiercely competitive or damaging encounter.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Spelling: 'bruising' is universal. Minor usage frequency: 'Bruising' as an adjective describing a physically tough style (e.g., in sports) is slightly more frequent in AmE commentary.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. The figurative use is equally common.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties. The noun form is core vocabulary; the participial adjective is high-frequency in analytical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bruising” in a Sentence
suffer (from) bruisingcause bruising (to)result in bruisingemerge from (a) bruising (experience)be left with bruisingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bruising” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He is bruising easily since starting the new medication.
- Careful with that fruit, you're bruising it.
American English
- She bruised her knee playing soccer.
- The peaches will bruise if you pack them like that.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Refers to a fiercely competitive or damaging period for a company, e.g., 'The firm emerged from a bruising price war.'
Academic
Used in medical/psychological texts to describe physical injury or metaphorical harm, e.g., 'The study examined the emotional bruising from prolonged conflict.'
Everyday
Describing a physical injury from a fall or knock, e.g., 'She has some bruising on her arm from the door.'
Technical
Specific medical term for a contusion; injury to underlying tissues without skin breakage.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bruising”
- Using 'bruising' to mean 'breaking' (e.g., 'The glass was bruising' is incorrect). Overusing the figurative sense where a simpler word like 'difficult' would suffice.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very commonly used figuratively to describe experiences that are emotionally difficult, harsh, or fiercely competitive.
'Bruise' is typically a countable noun for one specific mark/injury. 'Bruising' is often an uncountable noun referring to the condition or presence of bruises, or a participial adjective.
The form 'bruising' can be the present participle/gerund of the verb 'to bruise'. The verb itself means to cause a bruise or to become bruised.
In a strict medical sense, yes. In everyday language, 'bruising' is far more common. 'Contusion' is formal/technical.
An injury causing discolouration of the skin without breaking it, caused by a blow or impact.
Bruising is usually neutral; used in both formal medical contexts and informal everyday speech. in register.
Bruising: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbruːzɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbruːzɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No direct idioms, but used in phrases like 'a bruising schedule' (exhausting), 'a bruising row' (very heated argument).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'bruise' (the purple mark) + 'ing'. It's what happens when you get 'bruised' physically or emotionally.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM IS PHYSICAL INJURY (e.g., a bruising debate). COMPETITION IS COMBAT (e.g., a bruising election).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'bruising' LEAST appropriate?