bruise
1 of 2verb/bruz/
Forms:bruises,bruising,bruised,bruised
1
to make injuries, particularly ones caused by a blow, appear on the skin and cause discoloration
- The collision with the doorframe caused her arm to bruise.
- A bump on the head may bruise and create a noticeable lump.
- The clumsy dancer accidentally bruised her partner's foot during the routine.
- The impact of the fall bruised her shoulder, causing temporary pain.
- The collision with the soccer ball bruised his thigh, but he continued playing.
Synonyms:
2
to cause discoloration or damage to a fruit, vegetable, or plant
transitive- The apples were bruised during transport, showing dark spots on their skin.
- She accidentally bruised the tomato while picking it from the vine.
- The careless handling bruised the delicate berries, making them unfit for sale.
- The grapes were bruised after being packed too tightly in the crate.
- The plants were bruised by the heavy rain, damaging their leaves.
3
to crush, mash, or pound food, typically to soften or break it down
transitive- She bruised the garlic cloves to release their flavor for the sauce.
- He bruised the tomatoes before adding them to the salad.
- She bruised the mint leaves in the mortar to add to the drink.
- The recipe called for bruising the ginger to release its juices.
- To make the pesto, he bruised the basil leaves with the pestle.
4
to cause emotional pain or distress
transitive- His thoughtless comment bruised her feelings deeply.
- She didn’t mean to bruise his pride, but her criticism stung.
- He bruised her emotions when he ignored her accomplishments.
- His joke about her appearance bruised her self-esteem.
- The dismissal from the team bruised his sense of worth.