black-and-blue

American  

[blak-uhn-bloo] / ˈblæk ənˈblu /

adjective

1. discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis.

   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

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black-and-blue British  

adjective

1. (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise

2. feeling pain or soreness, as from a beating

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black and blue Idioms  

1. Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

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Etymology

Origin of black-and-blue

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

Cal Fire crews used a rope system to retrieve the body of the swimmer, clad in a black-and-blue wetsuit, from a remote stretch of beach south of Davenport, according to officials.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025

The singer re-emerged wearing a sparkly black-and-blue outfit complete with roller skates as he introduced will.i.am for their collaboration OMG - a song title which reflected the crowd's reaction.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2024

But against the league’s most high-powered offense, its defense stepped up to deliver a black-and-blue 19-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys that should recharge Kansas City’s Super Bowl expectations.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2021

The Valentino gown was fine on its own, but it clashed with everything else: the plenteous flags, the carpeting, the black-and-blue palette established by her family members.

From Slate • Feb. 2, 2021

A nasty black-and-blue swelled along his right cheek.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

Related Words

• ache
• bruise
• discomfort
• outrage
• pain
• suffering