Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "bruise" []

  • To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. (verb-transitive)
  • To damage (plant tissue), as by abrasion or pressure: bruised the fruit by careless packing. (verb-transitive)
  • To dent or mar. (verb-transitive)
  • To pound (berries, for example) into fragments; crush. (verb-transitive)
  • To hurt, especially psychologically. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "bruise" in a sentence
  • "On concussions alone, a reader at deadspin. com [1] compiled the following list of players who have borne the brunt of a brain bruise in 2010:"
  • "The entire bruise is the size of a tea cup saucer; the outer part is turning brown already."
  • "The bruise is fading but still visible under his right eye and he's not covering it up, not even off the basketball court."