In a way that causes bruises or severe harm; with harsh or damaging force.
From 'bruise' (from Old French 'bruisier', meaning to break or shatter) + '-ing' (present participle) + '-ly' (adverb suffix). The term evolved from the physical act of striking to describe any impact that causes injury.
This adverb is most famous from the 1989 film 'Do the Right Thing,' where Spike Lee's character says the line 'bruisingly honest'—it's become a literary term for critiques so harsh they wound their target.
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