2 definitions found

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

bruising

adjective

1: causing mental or emotional injury; "a bruising experience"; "protected from the bruising facts of battle"- John Mason Brown

2: brutally forceful and compelling; "protected from the bruising facts of battle"

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Bruise \Bruise\ (br[udd]z), verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Bruised}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bruising}.] [OE. brusen, brisen, brosen, bresen, AS. br?san or fr. OF. bruiser, bruisier, bruser, to break, shiver, perh. from OHG. brochis[=o]n. Cf. {Break}, v. t.]

1. To injure, as by a blow or collision, without laceration; to contuse; as, to bruise one's finger with a hammer; to bruise the bark of a tree with a stone; to bruise an apple by letting it fall.

2. To break; as in a mortar; to bray, as minerals, roots, etc.; to crush.

Nor bruise her flowerets with the armed hoofs. --Shak.

Syn: To pulverize; bray; triturate; pound; contuse.
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