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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

And that, adds the par 70, now getting bolshie and flicking the V’s like a golf course version of Liam Gallagher.

From The Guardian Sep. 18, 2020

In Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Albert Finney created a new kind of hero for British film: a bolshie young working-class man with no respect for authority who was nonetheless treated sympathetically on screen.

From BBC Apr. 3, 2018

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

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