The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CONTUSED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
N
T
U
S
E
D
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Bruised" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case bruised = contused.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CONTUSED mean?
CONTUSED verb- To injure without breaking the skin; to bruise.