bruised

bruised — adjective

1. describes skin that has dark-coloured marks and feels painful after being presse

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes skin that has dark-coloured marks and feels painful after being pressed, hit, or knocked against something hard

Example

Ritu's bruised knee hurt when she bent it.

typical collocation: bruised + body part

The child's bruised arm showed where the desk had hit it.

Common collocations
  • bruised knee
  • bruised arm
  • bruised shoulder
  • bruised face
  • bruised skin
  • badly bruised
Synonyms
  • hurt

    broader term; can describe any physical pain, not just from impact

  • sore

    focuses on tenderness when touched rather than discolouration

  • swollen

    describes increased size from fluid, often accompanies bruising but is different

Antonyms
  • unmarked

    skin without any injuries or discolouration

Grammar Patterns

bruised + noun (body part)

Usage Note

Often describes specific body parts such as knee, arm, shoulder, face, or ribs. The adverb 'badly' is the most common modifier for degree.

Common Mistakes

He had a bruise knee.
He had a bruised knee.
'bruised' is the adjective form; 'bruise' is the noun describing the mark itself.
She had a bruised on her leg.
She had a bruise on her leg.
Use 'bruise' (noun) after 'a', not 'bruised' (adjective).

2. feeling mentally or emotionally wounded after going through a difficult or upset

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

feeling mentally or emotionally wounded after going through a difficult or upsetting event

Example

After losing the match, Rodrigo felt bruised but determined to try again.

emotional sense: feel + bruised + but + contrast

The harsh criticism left the young singer bruised for weeks.

Common collocations
  • bruised pride
  • bruised ego
  • bruised feelings
  • emotionally bruised
Synonyms
  • wounded

    stronger and more dramatic; suggests deep emotional injury

  • hurt

    more general and less intense; can describe any emotional pain

  • damaged

    implies longer-lasting or more serious effect on confidence

  • scarred

    suggests permanent emotional effect, not just temporary

Antonyms
  • confident

    feeling sure of oneself, the opposite of having bruised self-esteem

  • resilient

    able to recover quickly from setbacks without lingering hurt

Grammar Patterns

feel + bruised

be + bruised + by + noun phrase

be + bruised + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently appears with nouns like 'pride' or 'ego' to describe hurt self-image. The cause is usually mentioned with 'by' or 'from', unlike the physical sense where 'from' is rarer.

Common Mistakes

She felt bruised by the criticism but confident.' (contradictory pairing).
She felt bruised by the criticism but stayed confident.
'bruised' is negative; pair a positive with 'but' and keep the contrast logical.
His bruised arm hurt after the rejection.' (ambiguous — sounds physical).
His bruised pride hurt after the rejection.
Specify what is bruised when using the emotional sense to avoid confusion.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While bruised, hurt, sore, injured, and swollen all describe physical discomfort, they differ in cause and scope. Hurt is the most general — it covers any pain, from a paper cut to a broken bone. Sore focuses on tenderness when touched or moved, often after overusing a muscle. Injured is more serious and suggests damage that may need medical attention. Swollen describes increased size from fluid buildup, which often accompanies bruising but is a separate condition. Bruised specifically means skin discolouration and pain from broken blood vessels after a knock or fall. For example: 'Ritu's bruised knee was both swollen and sore to the touch, but luckily she was not seriously injured.'

hurt ↗sore ↗injured ↗swollen ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

Bruised comes from the verb bruise, which traces back to Old English brȳsan, meaning 'to crush or injure'. The word later merged with meanings from Old French bruisier, meaning 'to break'. The physical sense — skin discolouration from injury — was in use by the 15th century. The figurative meaning of emotional hurt developed in the 17th century.