Definition

An injury where the skin is not broken, often resulting in a bruise or discoloration of the skin.

Example

After falling off his bike, he had a contusion on his arm that turned purple.

Conversation

I noticed you have a bruise on your arm, what happened?

Oh, it's just a little contusion from playing basketball.

That looks painful! Did you get it during a game?

Yeah, I bumped into someone, but it's nothing serious.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Contusion → It is formed from "con-" (meaning together) and "tundere" (meaning to beat or strike). The word describes an injury caused by a blow or impact, resulting in bruising or damage to the tissue without breaking the skin.

Memory Tip

Think of a blow or strike ('tundere') that happens 'together' ('con-') to create a bruise — that's what contusion means.

Visually Confused Words