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 bullying

Removing choice is bullying and seems a horrid basis on which to anchor your relationship.

Public Marriage Proposals Must Die |Tauriq Moosa |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In light of the Michael Brown shooting, others have come forward to share their own stories of bullying, and harassment by police.

Are College Educated Police Safer? |Keli Goff |December 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He recounts to her the bullying he receives at school, with classmates spitting on him as he walks down the halls.

‘To Russia With Love’: Can Johnny Weir Save Russia’s Gays? |Kevin Fallon |October 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
But The Source was also starting to develop a bullying reputation within the industry.

It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine |Alex Suskind |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

“No camp counter-productive with bullying and lies,” he wrote.

Freeeeedom! Hollywood Fights for Scottish Independence |Nico Hines |September 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I felt utterly helpless and a little angry at Goil's bullying tactics.

Jack of No Trades |Charles Cottrell
Always this infernal self-conscious Madonna starving our living guts and bullying us to death with her love.

Fantasia of the Unconscious |D. H. Lawrence
Her unexpectedly quiescent attitude had emboldened him to a bullying tone—something he had not lately ventured on.

The Fighting Chance |Robert W. Chambers
Apart from your bullying selfishness, a nice sensible way you have of talking!

Some Everyday Folk and Dawn |Miles Franklin
The Northerners in Congress had learned the trick of bullying from the Southerners.

Marse Henry (Vol. 1) |Henry Watterson

British Dictionary definitions for bullying (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 bullying (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 bullying

British Dictionary definitions for bullying (1 of 2)

noun plural -lies

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

adjective

interjection

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullying (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 bullying

Example sentences from the Web for bullying

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

noun plural -lies

verb -lies, -lying or -lied

adjective

interjection

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullying (2 of 2)

noun plural -lies

Word Origin for bully

British Dictionary definitions for bullying (1 of 2)