bully

[ bool-ee ]

/ ˈbʊl i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bully ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural bul·lies.

a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.

Archaic. a man hired to do violence.

Obsolete. a pimp; procurer.

Obsolete. good friend; good fellow.

Obsolete. sweetheart; darling.

verb (used with object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

to act the bully toward; intimidate; domineer.

verb (used without object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

to be loudly arrogant and overbearing.

adjective

Informal. fine; excellent; very good.

dashing; jovial; high-spirited.

interjection

Informal. good! well done!

Origin of bully

First recorded in 1530–40, bully is from the Middle Dutch word boele lover

SYNONYMS FOR bully

6 cow, browbeat, coerce; terrorize, tyrannize.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bully ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bully

bul·ly·a·ble, adjective un·bul·lied, adjective un·bul·ly·ing, adjective

Words nearby bully

bullshot, bullsnake, bullwaddy, bullwhacker, bullwhip, bully, bully beef, bully pulpit, bully tree, bully-off, bullyboy

Example sentences from the Web for bullied

“NATO bullied us in Georgia and now they are doing the same again here, and we have to stop them,” says Alan.

East Ukraine: Back in the USSR |Jamie Dettmer |November 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In cases such as a spate of recent suicides by adolescents who were bullied on Facebook, the perpetrators were well known.

Outed Madeleine McCann Troll Kills Herself. But Millions Live On Online. |Barbie Latza Nadeau |October 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Even in my conservative small-town high school, I was bullied more for wearing skinny jeans than I was for being an atheist.

Loud, Proud, and Atheist: ‘Openly Secular’ Encourages Nonbelievers to Come Out of the Closet |Vlad Chituc |September 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The sufferers have been bullied, the bullies have suffered, everyone has a wound deeper than someone else.

Why We Should Hate 'Haters Gonna Hate' |Tim Teeman |August 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

According to a 2007 study, 37 percent of American workers—more than 50 million people—have been bullied in the workplace.

Should You Confront Your Old Bully? |Keli Goff |August 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Three times the jury refused to find her guilty, until Jeffreys bullied and frightened them into that false verdict.

A Child's History of England |Charles Dickens
He bullied her, contradicted her in public, ignored her openly.

Tommy and Co. |Jerome K. Jerome
You instructed the architect, and bullied the workmen, and cried for more store-closets.

Tommy and Grizel |J.M. Barrie
He was bullied into yielding, and, when about twenty, took the vows.

Short Studies on Great Subjects |James Anthony Froude
However, Leo came, and from the moment he entered the house she bullied him.

The Pagan's Cup |Fergus Hume

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (1 of 2)

bully ¹

/ (ˈbʊlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

a person who hurts, persecutes, or intimidates weaker people

archaic a hired ruffian

obsolete a procurer; pimp

obsolete a fine fellow or friend

obsolete a sweetheart; darling

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

(when tr , often foll by into) to hurt, intimidate, or persecute (a weaker or smaller person), esp to make him do something

adjective

dashing; jolly my bully boy

informal very good; fine

interjection

Also: bully for you informal well done! bravo!

Word Origin for bully

C16 (in the sense: sweetheart, hence fine fellow, hence swaggering coward): probably from Middle Dutch boele lover, from Middle High German buole, perhaps childish variant of bruoder brother

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (2 of 2)

bully ²

/ (ˈbʊlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

any of various small freshwater fishes of the genera Gobiomorphus and Philynodon of New Zealand Also called (NZ): pakoko, titarakura, toitoi

Word Origin for bully

C20: short for cockabully

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bully

noun, plural bul·lies.

verb (used with object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

verb (used without object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

adjective

interjection

Origin of bully

SYNONYMS FOR bully

OTHER WORDS FROM bully

Words nearby bully

Example sentences from the Web for bullied

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (1 of 2)

noun plural -lies

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

adjective

interjection

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (2 of 2)

noun plural -lies

Word Origin for bully

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bully

noun, plural bul·lies.

verb (used with object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

verb (used without object), bul·lied, bul·ly·ing.

adjective

interjection

Origin of bully

SYNONYMS FOR bully

OTHER WORDS FROM bully

Words nearby bully

Words related to bullied

Example sentences from the Web for bullied

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for bullied (1 of 2)

noun plural -lies

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

adjective

interjection

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (2 of 2)

noun plural -lies

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullied (1 of 2)