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

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

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

Thanks to the long break, the black-and-blue Blue Jackets are nearly at full-strength again.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2020

In a crisp, black-and-blue flannel, a nest of light-brown hair and olive librarian glasses he could have passed as an adjunct at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2019

After two hours, she had a black-and-blue thumb and a pile of coconut for lunch.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Related Words

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