Bolshie

American

[bohl-shee, bol-] / ˈboʊl ʃi, ˈbɒl- /

noun

Slang.

Bolshevik.
Bolshevist.

bolshie British

/ ˈbɒlʃɪ /

adjective

difficult to manage; rebellious
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

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.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023