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Bolshie

American  
[bohl-shee, bol-] / ˈboʊl ʃi, ˈbɒl- /

noun

Slang.
  1. Bolshevik.

  2. Bolshevist.


bolshie British  
/ ˈbɒlʃɪ /

adjective

  1. difficult to manage; rebellious

  2. politically radical or left-wing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. derogatory any political radical

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Bolshie

First recorded in 1915–20; Bolsh(evik) + -ie


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The blast occurred about 9 p.m. local time near the village of Bolshie Vyazyomy, southwest of Moscow, the committee said.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 21, 2022

"Here, take a snapshot of a young Bolshie," cried Chargé d'Affaires Rosengolz amiably, and pushed his infant son before a photographer's camera.

From Time Magazine Archive

"I can be bolshie if I'm fighting for a cause or for someone else, but deep down I'm very sensitive."

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

It was a little bit bolshie of me, but I knew what the girls were getting.

From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2016

Because if they want more labour, or if their current workforce gets a bit bolshie and starts demanding more of the profits, then they can just go and hire some of those unemployed.

From Forbes ● Mar. 7, 2015

Her new collection, “Honeydew”, may be more muted in tone, but it retains the 78-year-old author’s ferociously individual style, characterised by prose that is bolshie yet nuanced, elegant but not fussy, stylish without being vain.

From Economist ● Feb. 5, 2015

Wind back a decade and West was a bolshie young producer who made his name speeding up soul samples.

From The Guardian ● May 26, 2012

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