What does bruised mean?
Bruised is an adjective describing tissue that has been injured beneath the skin without being broken, producing the familiar tenderness and discoloration known as a bruise. It applies equally to fruit that has been knocked and softened, to metal or paint that has been dented, and — most evocatively — to feelings: a bruised ego, bruised trust, or a bruised heart all describe emotional wounds that leave no visible mark but sting all the same. The word carries a connotation of damage short of destruction; something bruised is hurt, not ruined, which is why it suits both minor physical mishaps and psychological knocks that time can mend. It appears constantly in sports reporting, medicine, and everyday conversation, making it one of those rare adjectives equally at home in a hospital chart and a breakup story. Its past-tense verb form, 'she bruised her arm easily', shows how naturally it crosses grammatical lines.
Injured so as to show a purplish or dark discoloration under unbroken skin; damaged but not destroyed; emotionally hurt or humiliated.
"The peaches were too bruised to sell."
Also functions as the past tense and past participle of the verb 'bruise'.
Past tense and past participle of 'bruise': injured by a blow producing discoloration without breaking the skin, or caused such damage.
"She bruised her hip when she slipped on the ice."
A bruise is just blood escaping broken vessels under the skin — which is why your body paints its own purple-and-yellow timeline of healing over about two weeks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bruised
The word traces back through Middle English to the verb 'bruise', whose origins lie in Old French 'bruisier' meaning to break or shatter, likely with Germanic roots. The verb has been in English since medieval times, and the participial form 'bruised' came to function as a standard adjective for both physical injury and figurative damage. Its exact earliest attestation dates are uncertain, so the development is best described broadly rather than precisely dated.
Related word forms
How bruised is actually used
Common in both literal medical contexts and figurative emotional ones; the figurative use (especially 'bruised ego' and 'emotionally bruised') is frequent and idiomatic in everyday speech and journalism.
Easily confused with bruised
'Bruised' means injured or damaged, while 'brewed' refers to making a drink such as beer or coffee by boiling or steeping.