Bruiser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person known for physical strength or toughness in general ; an individual who engages in fighting or hits with considerable force
2. Someone characterized by robust strength and resilience ; a fighter notable for delivering powerful blows
3. A tough individual possessing strong physical power ; a combatant recognized for strong and forceful hitting

Etymology: The word is built from "bruise" plus the agent suffix "-er," so it literally means "one who bruises." The suffix has a long pedigree of its own: it descends from the Latin "-arius," which passed through Old French "-ier" and reached English in Middle English as "-er," the same ending found in words like "baker" and "singer." English has used it for centuries to turn a verb into a noun for the person doing the action. Bruise itself has a more tangled history. It came into English from Old French, where it was connected to words for breaking and crushing, and it originally referred to damage done to a surface or to the body by a blow. The sense of a fighter who delivers hard blows grew naturally from that idea: a bruiser is someone whose punches leave marks. The term later took on the broader meaning of a sturdy, tough-looking person, which is the sense most people use today.

Synonyms: bully, thug, strongman, heavy, enforcer

Antonyms: gentleman, peacekeeper, defender, protector, guardian