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. )

Example Sentences

Ingerson posted on social media that there had been a "two-year long campaign of bullying, lies, rumours and smears designed to stop my candidacy".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Australia in December banned users under 16 from the world's largest social media platforms, citing the need to protect them from "predatory algorithms" and online bullying.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

During the trial, lawyers for Meta tried to convince jurors that Kaley’s struggles weren’t caused by social media but by other factors, including bullying at school and tensions at home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

His new children’s book, “Songbird in the Light,” which follows a young boy who grapples with bullying while learning to embrace his talent and love himself, hit bookshop shelves this week.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

The experience had clearly chastened Mr Wormwood and he seemed temporarily to have lost his taste for boasting and bullying.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

Related Words

• imperious