Adjacent Words

Bruising definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BRUISING, ppr. Crushing; breaking or wounding by a blunt or heavy instrument.
BRUISING, n. In popular language, a beating or boxing.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: causing mental or emotional injury; "a bruising experience"; "protected from the bruising facts of battle"- John Mason Brown
2: brutally forceful and compelling; "protected from the bruising facts of battle"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 1872 arduous, taxing <a long and bruising courtroom battle>

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bruise Bruise (br[udd]z), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bruised (br[udd]zd); p. pr. & vb. n. Bruising.] [OE. brusen, brisen, brosen, bresen, AS. br[=y]san or fr. OF. bruiser, bruisier, bruser, to break, shiver, perh. from OHG. brochis[=o]n. Cf. Break, v. t.] 1. To injure, as by a blow or collision, without laceration; to contuse; as, to bruise one's finger with a hammer; to bruise the bark of a tree with a stone; to bruise an apple by letting it fall. 2. To break; as in a mortar; to bray, as minerals, roots, etc.; to crush. Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs. --Shak. Syn: To pulverize; bray; triturate; pound; contuse.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If someone has bruising on their body, they have bruises on it. (FORMAL) She had quite severe bruising and a cut lip. = bruises 2. In a bruising battle or encounter, people fight or compete with each other in a very aggressive or determined way. (JOURNALISM) The administration hopes to avoid another bruising battle over civil rights. ADJ: usu ADJ n