adjective
livid
Bluish-gray or purplish like a bruise.
The skin around his swollen ankle looks livid and tender.
Etymology
The Latin adjective described a leaden or bluish color. The English bruise-color sense preserves that physical meaning directly.
More examples
- Livid patches mark her arm where she fell.
- The cold leaves his fingertips a livid shade of blue.
- Livid clouds gather above the hills before the storm.
Forms
livid
lividity noun — A bluish-gray or purplish discoloration of skin.
Similar words
- bluish
- Suggests some blue, without necessarily resembling a bruise.
- purplish
- Suggests some purple, without necessarily having a grayish or bruiselike appearance.