bullying

American  

[bool-ee-ing] / ˈbʊl i ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of harassing, intimidating, or abusing others, especially habitually or from a perceived position of relative power.

   Bullying and stress can impact students' experiences at school.

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Other Word Forms

• unbullying
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bullying

First recorded in 1675–85; bully ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Bullying is the act of intimidating someone else. Threatening to beat up your little brother if he doesn't clean your room for you is most certainly an act of bullying. You may have heard of the word bully, which is a person, often young, who harasses others. A schoolyard bully might call you names, steal your lunch money, and generally make your life miserable. Bullying is the act of being a bully. Believe it or not, bullying can be serious business with grave consequences. There are even laws that require schools to take action against bullying.

Example Sentences

Appeared in the December 2, 2025, print edition as 'The Lesson of China’s Japan Bullying'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 1, 2025

Talia, also Year 8, added: "Bullying has gone down and I feel safe knowing it is in a locker where nobody can take it and it cannot fall out of my blazer pocket."

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2024

Yet some parents said they still weren’t sure why “The Bullying Collection” was canceled because school officials never explained the decision.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 18, 2024

Bullying, once the province of three-way calling on landlines, now occurs on social media.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2024

Bullying doesn't do a bit more good than whining, so please stop that, too.

From The Builders by Glasgow, Ellen Anderson Gholson

Related Words

• imperious