bully
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bully
- /ˈbʊli/ Australia, UK, US
- /ˈbɵlɪj/ British, Southern, Standard
- /ˈbʉle/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
- /-lɪ/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
- /-li/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
Rhymes with -ʊli
Where it comes from
From 1530, as a term of endearment, probably a diminutive ( + -y) of Dutch boel (“lover; brother”), from Middle Dutch boel, boele (“brother; lover”), from Old Dutch *buolo, from Proto-Germanic *bōlô (compare Middle Low German bôle (“brother”), Middle High German buole (“brother; close relative; close relation”) (whence German Buhle (“lover”)), Old English Bōla, Bōlla (personal name), diminutive of expressive *bō- (“brother, father”). Compare also Latvian bālinš (“brother”). More at boy.
The term acquired a negative connotation during the 17th century; first ‘noisy, blustering fellow’ then ‘a person who is cruel to others’. Possibly influenced by bull (“male cattle”) or via the ‘prostitute's minder’ sense. The positive senses are dated, but survive in phrases such as bully pulpit.
noun bullies
- A person who is intentionally physically or emotionally cruel to others, especially to those whom they perceive as being vulnerable or of less power or privilege. A playground bully pushed a girl off the swing.
- A noisy, blustering, tyrannical person, more insolent than courageous; one who is threatening and quarrelsome. Besides, bullies seldom execute the threats they deal in; and men of trick and cunning are not always men of desperate resolves.
- A hired thug. Mr. Fisher returned from town... he had learnt that our opponents intended to shift the scene of operations to the Chats... We understood that they had hired two bullies for the purpose of deciding the matter par voie de fait. Mr Fisher hired two of the same description, who were supposed to be more
-
A sex worker's minder.
The Proclamation Society and the Society for the Suppression of Vice were more concerned with obscene literature […] than with hands-on street battles with prostitutes and their bullies […].
Similar: pimp, abbot, bludger, bully, cock-bawd, dalaal, fishmonger, flashman, fleshmonger, hoon, hustler, mackerel
- Bully beef.
- A brisk, dashing fellow. What sayest thou, Bully Bottom?
- The small scrum in the Eton College field game.
- Any of various small freshwater or brackishwater fish of the family Eleotridae; sleeper gobies.
- An (eldest) brother; a fellow workman; comrade Frae Team Gut to Whitley, we' coals black an' brown For the Amphitrite loaded, the keel had come down— But the bullies ower neet had their gobs se oft wet, That the nyem o' the ship yen an' a' did forget.
-
A companion; mate (male or female).
Similar: babber, billy, bredrin, bruv, bud, buddo, buddy, butty, chaver, china, chuck, chum
-
A darling, sweetheart (male or female).
I kiss his dirty shoe, and from heart-string / I love the lovely bully. What is thy name?
Similar: babber, babe, precious, bae, baby, babycakes, bubba, bully, buttercup, cabbage, chickabiddy, chickadee
-
A standoff between two players from the opposing teams, who repeatedly hit each other's hockey sticks and then attempt to acquire the ball, as a method of resuming the game in certain circumstances.
Similar: bully-off
- A miner's hammer.
verb bullies · bullying · bullied
-
To intimidate (someone) as a bully.
You shouldn't bully people for being weak.
Similar: buffalo, bulldoze, bully, browbeat, cow, dastardize, daunt, dishearten, do down, domineer, drive, hector
-
To act aggressively towards.
The Potters know their strengths and played to them perfectly here, out-muscling Bolton in midfield and bullying the visitors' back-line at every opportunity.
Similar: push around, ride roughshod over
adjective bullier · bulliest
interjection
-
Well done; often sarcastic in modern use.
Bully, she's finally asked for that promotion!
Similar: bravissimo, bravo, bully, cock on, congrats, congratulations, encore, fair fucks, full marks, get you, good for someone, good for you
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: browbeat, bullyrag, hector, ballyrag, rowdy, ruffian, roughneck, push around, hooligan, yobo, yobbo, strong-arm, keen, tough, swagger, smashing
Translations
Every language
noun a person who is intentionally cruel to others
| Español | bravucón, abusón, matón, abusador, peleón, pendenciero |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 괴롭히는 사람 goerophineun saram, 깡패 kkangpae |
| 日本語 | 苛め ijime, 苛めっ子 ijimekko |
| 中文 | 霸凌者 bàlíngzhě, 土霸 tǔbà, 暴徒 bàotú |
| हिन्दी | क्रूर krūr, दबंग dabaṅg, धौंसबाज dhaunsbāj, धौँसिया dha͠usiyā |
| Português | rufia, rufião, valentão |
| Français | brimeur, brute, tyran |
| Deutsch | Rabauke, Bully, Tyrann, Schikaneur, Mobber |
| Italiano | bullo, spaccone, smargiasso, prepotente, arrogante |
| Ελληνικά | νταής ntaḯs |
| Română | tiran |
| Русский | зади́ра zadíra, забия́ка zabijáka, громи́ла gromíla, хулига́н xuligán, тира́н tirán |
| Tiếng Việt | đầu gấu |
| العربية | مُسْتَأْسِد mustaʔsid, مُتَنَمِّر mutanammir |
| עברית | בִּרְיוֹן biryón |
noun a hired thug
| Español | matón, sicario |
|---|---|
| Русский | головоре́з golovoréz |
verb to intimidate
| Español | intimidar, chulear, acosar, hacer bullying (búliin), matonear, bulear |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 괴롭히다 goerophida |
| 日本語 | 苛める ijimeru |
| 中文 | 欺負 /欺负 qīfu, 霸凌 bàlíng, 欺侮 qīwǔ, 侮慢 wǔmàn |
| हिन्दी | दबंगी dabaṅgī, धौंसना dhaunsnā, धौँसना dha͠usnā, धौंसबाजी dhaunsbājī |
| Português | intimidar, bulir, oprimir |
| Français | intimider |
| Deutsch | einschüchtern, schikanieren, kujonieren |
| Română | intimida |
| Русский | запу́гивать zapúgivatʹ, запуга́ть zapugátʹ, страща́ть straščátʹ, застраща́ть zastraščátʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | bắt nạt |
| العربية | تَنَمَّرَ tanammara |
verb to act aggressively towards
| Español | tiranizar, acosar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 欺負 /欺负 qīfù |
| Português | atormentar, aterrorizar, maltratar, tiranizar, oprimir |
| Français | tourmenter, terroriser, maltraiter, tyranniser, harceler |
| Deutsch | tyrannisieren, drangsalieren, kujonieren, piesacken |
| Русский | тиранизи́ровать tiranizírovatʹ, задира́ть zadirátʹ, задра́ть zadrátʹ, терроризи́ровать terrorizírovatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | bắt nạt |
Talk about this word "bully." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bully. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bully. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bully "bully." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bully.Cite this
@misc{bully_2026,
title = {bully},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bully},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
