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• bull
  bull

  noun

  the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
• Bull
  Bull

  noun

  Ole (Bornemann) 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.
• bull.
  bull.

  abbreviation

  bulletin.

bull

¹ American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

1. the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.

2. the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.

3. a large, solidly built person.

4. a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).

5. Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.

6. a bulldog.

7. Slang. a police officer.

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adjective

1. male.

2. of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.

3. having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.

   a bull market.

verb (used with object)

• bulls,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bulled,
  past participle,  past
• bulling
  present participle

1. Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.

2. to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.

3. to force; shove.

   to bull one's way through a crowd.

4. Nautical. to ram (a buoy).

idioms

1. take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.

2. bull in a china shop,

   1. an awkward or clumsy person.

   2. an inconsiderate or tactless person.

   3. a troublemaker; dangerous person.

bull ² American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

Slang.

1. exaggeration, lies, or nonsense.

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idioms

1. shoot / throw the bull, to talk aimlessly.

   We just sat around shooting the bull.

bull ³ American  

[bool] / bʊl /

noun

1. a bulla or seal.

2. Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.

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Bull ⁴ American  

[bool] / bul /

noun

1. Ole (Bornemann) 1810–80, Norwegian violinist and composer.

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bull. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. bulletin.

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bull ¹ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature

2. the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle

3. the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale

4. a very large, strong, or aggressive person

5. stock exchange

   1. a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare bear 1

      a bull market

6. short for bull's-eye bull's-eye

7. slang short for bullshit

8. short for bulldog bull terrier

9. a clumsy person

10. slang

    1. to pass time talking lightly

    2. to boast or exaggerate

11. to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking

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adjective

1. male; masculine

   a bull elephant

2. large; strong

verb

1. (tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying

2. (intr) (of a cow) to be on heat

3. slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly

Bull ² British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist

2. See John Bull

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Bull ³ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. the constellation Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac

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bull ⁴ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. Also called: Irish bull. a ludicrously self-contradictory or inconsistent statement

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bull ⁵ British  

/ bʊl /

noun

1. a formal document issued by the pope, written in antiquated characters and often sealed with a leaden bulla

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bull More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing bull

• cock and bull story
• hit the bull's-eye
• shoot the breeze (bull)
• take the bull by the horns

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bull-like
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• bulling
  present
• bulled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bull
  simple
• bulls
  simple
• have bulled
  perfect
• has bulled
  perfect
• am bulling
  progressive
• are bulling
  progressive
• is bulling
  progressive
• have been bulling
  perfect progressive
• has been bulling
  perfect progressive

Past

• bulled
  simple
• had bulled
  perfect
• was bulling
  progressive
• were bulling
  progressive
• had been bulling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bull
  simple
• will have bulled
  perfect
• will be bulling
  progressive
• will have been bulling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of bull¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English bule, Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli; Greek phallós “penis,” from a root meaning “to swell”; see bullock

Origin of bull²

First recorded in 1620–30; from Medieval Latin bulla “play, game, jest,” perhaps special use of Latin bulla “bubble”; now generally taken as a euphemistic shortening of bullshit

Origin of bull³

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bull(e) “a (lead) seal affixed to a papal edict, papal edict; official sealed document,” from Medieval Latin bulla “seal, sealed document,” from Latin ; see origin at bulla

Explanation

A bull is a male cow. You can usually tell which animal in a pasture is a bull by its large size and horns. A male bovine — or cow — is a bull, and so is a male whale or elephant. Fittingly, the word bull is sometimes also used for a particularly bulky, muscular man. Another informal and slightly obscene meaning is "ridiculous," or "not true," as when you tell a lie and your brother rudely replies, "Bull!" This slang meaning has its roots in the Old French bole, "deception or trick."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bull Bull bull. bulls bulled bulling

That said, Lerner believes broader participation in the rally would strengthen the bull market further as equity markets “are generally healthier” when a wider group of stocks is advancing.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The current equity bull market will pass its four-year mark early next week.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Still, Lerner emphasizes that, as the bull market completes its fourth year, “age alone is not a reason to become defensive.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

The S&P 500 just hit another record, but it sure doesn’t look like a bull market beneath the surface.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

They were starting to dance around the bull.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

But the world champions have slipped from competitiveness in recent races, and before the Singapore Grand Prix they lie in third place in the constructors' championship, only 11 points ahead of Red Bull.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Energy-drink brand Red Bull is a longtime supporter of rave and electronic music culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Hamilton passed car after car until by lap 24 he was on the tail of Isack Hadjar's fourth-placed Red Bull.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

He climbed the coaching ladder and won trophies at Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg and Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

When Atchley retreated from the latrine, Bull straightened his uniform, winked at the mirror, and spoke again to his reflection.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

“He’s a bull. He is a physically strong, imposing, aggressive lawyer and the other adjective I’d use to describe him is connected.”

From New York Times ● Nov. 30, 2021

“I had to sit on a bull. Ron Howard drove me home in his VW, and I said, ‘Ron, tell me now.

From Fox News ● Oct. 15, 2019

“Once he got that lead, he was a pit bull. He pitched better in the sixth and seventh innings.”

From Washington Post ● May 25, 2019

“I’m sort of like a pit bull. I never let it go.”

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 6, 2016

"You'll be all right. There's nothing but that horse part that will bother you, and they're only in for a few minutes with each bull. Just don't watch when it's bad."

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Tanner says that concerns about the airport renovation leading to an influencer version of El Encierro, the annual running of the bulls in Spain, are misplaced.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Squint, and one can find many examples supporting the arguments of bulls and bears alike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

That’s likely a relief for crypto bulls, but the comeback might say less about bitcoin’s revival than a marketwide return of risk appetite — from chip and software names to meme stocks.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Today’s volatility is a reminder for both AI bulls and skeptics to diversify their tech holdings.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

There was a train on it and we crouched behind it to check for any bulls.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

By one measure, investors haven’t been this bulled up on stocks since the heady days of the original meme-stock frenzy back in 2021.

From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026

The 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara bulled his way to the rim and swatted shots away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

Hill, who plays like he should be a tight end for an NFL team, bulled his way around for 18 points, making nine of 13 shots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2026

Swift's three-yard TD gave the Bears a 7-0 lead and Monangai bulled over for a four-yard score that made it 17-9 in the fourth quarter.

From Barron's ● Nov. 29, 2025

“Daisy is a good one,” I bulled ahead, not letting her distract me.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

“I just want to make sure. Did you apologize for the behavior that went on with you and your date?” he asked, bulling over her attempts to interrupt him.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he abhorred bulling and the abuse of power after he was asked why he promoted a Conservative lawmaker following complaints of sexual misconduct made against him.

From Reuters ● Jul. 6, 2022

Eleby led a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Jefferson bulling over from 3 yards out to make it 41-34.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2021

Asked what studies he had made of the impact of operational changes on seniors and veterans before bulling ahead, he couldn’t answer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2020

The horse reverted to his rebellious habits in the starting gate, bulling forward and raising a fuss.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand