bruise 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrüz How to pronounce bruise (audio)
Definition of bruisenext
1
as in scratch
a bodily injury in which small blood vessels are broken but the overlying skin is not she got quite a big bruise from walking into the corner of the table

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in scrape
an area of skin roughened or worn away by harsh rubbing against another surface bruises caused by ill-fitting hiking boots

Synonyms & Similar Words

bruise

2 of 2

verb

as in to wound

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bruise
Noun
The woman, 37, was found half naked with bruises on her body and tied up with cables. — Rael Ombuor The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026 The baby was covered in bruises and appeared to have teeth marks on his stomach, police said. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
Take two mint crowns, lightly bruise them with your fingers, and stick them against the inside close to the straw. — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 4 July 2026 The operatives take the drives and release Jane, who is bruised and bloodied. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bruise
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bruise
  1. scratch
  2. scrape
  3. wound
  4. contusion
  5. abrasion
  6. gash
  7. bump
  8. slit
Noun
  • Yes, because it’s made of durable Gorilla Glass to prevent scuffs and scratches.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
  • And perhaps most importantly — why do longevity clinics include scratch-and-sniff smell tests as part of their treatments?
    — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of scratch
Noun
  • Memory is not so much a flow, sometimes, as a series of bumps and scrapes.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The company said the agent bypasses the personalization and other features built into the shopping experience and said Muse appears to capture and store customer credentials and scrape account data.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scrape
Verb
  • The memo came the day that courtroom testimony highlighted ways in which two ICE officers involved in a vehicle stop, pursuit and shooting that wounded a delivery driver in Austin last month would not have complied with the new guidance.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When the smoke cleared, three of the Dalton gang lay dead; Emmett was wounded but survived.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of wound
Noun
  • The Hawks ruled out veteran guard CJ McCollum with a nose contusion ahead of Monday night’s game, opening the door for the rookie guard to run with the remaining available starters.
    — Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But with Kon Knueppel, Coby White, and Brandon Miller out with minor injuries — a left hamstring strain, left calf strain, and shin contusion, respectively — Charlotte’s four preseason games will hardly answer that question.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of contusion
Noun
  • Most had abrasions and small cuts, and all but the driver have since been treated and released, authorities said Monday during a press briefing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Machado and her daughters had abrasions on their necks, which Lew said is consistent with asphyxiation.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of abrasion
Verb
  • In last season's game between the Eagles and Bears, the Birds got gashed.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Mizzou’s defense was gashed by explosive plays Mississippi State set the tone early with Jeff Lebby’s up-tempo offense.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of gash
Noun
  • There were a couple of goose-bump moments before the game began.
    — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • But there were more bumps in the road for Detroit, which by November was still a dismal 3-6.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bump
Verb
  • Afterward, Lindsay slit her wrists and neck, then jumped out of a second-story window.
    — Selena Barrientos, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Instead Justine shows up to slit his throat and take the baby from him, leaving him for dead; the child winds up disappearing with Holtz into a hell dimension.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of slit

Browse Nearby Words

browsing
bruise
bruised
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bruise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bruise. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bruise

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bruise

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All