the male of a bovine animal, especially of the genus Bos, with sexual organs intact and capable of reproduction.
the male of certain other mammals, as elephants and moose.
a large, solidly built person.
a person who believes that market prices, especially of stocks, will increase (opposed to bear).
Astronomy, Astrology. Bull, the constellation or sign of Taurus.
a bulldog.
Slang. a police officer.
male.
of, relating to, or resembling a bull, as in strength.
having to do with or marked by a continuous trend of rising prices, as of stocks.
a bull market.
Stock Exchange. to attempt to raise the price of.
to speculate in, in expectation of a rise in price.
to force; shove.
to bull one's way through a crowd.
Nautical. to ram (a buoy).
take the bull by the horns, to attack a difficult or risky problem fearlessly.
bull in a china shop,
an awkward or clumsy person.
an inconsiderate or tactless person.
a troublemaker; dangerous person.
a bulla or seal.
Roman Catholic Church. a formal papal document having a bulla attached.
any male bovine animal, esp one that is sexually mature
the uncastrated adult male of any breed of domestic cattle
the male of various other animals including the elephant and whale
a very large, strong, or aggressive person
stock exchange
a speculator who buys in anticipation of rising prices in order to make a profit on resale
( as modifier ) Compare bear 1
a bull market
short for bull's-eye bull's-eye
slang short for bullshit
short for bulldog bull terrier
a clumsy person
slang
to pass time talking lightly
to boast or exaggerate
to face and tackle a difficulty without shirking
male; masculine
a bull elephant
large; strong
(tr) to raise or attempt to raise the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative buying
(intr) (of a cow) to be on heat
slang (intr) to talk lightly or foolishly
John . 1563–1628, English composer and organist
See John Bull
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
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
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
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You’ve made so much money in this long bull market, why not take a flyer here and there?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Michael Brush listed various factors that could support a continuing bull market for technology stocks, while adding a warning about one particular Big Tech darling.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Fans queued at New Street station to have their photo taken with the mechanical Ozzy the bull statue, which has been specially dressed up for Ozzy Day, receiving a free commemorative Polaroid.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gold has suffered a rough few months, tarnishing the bull case for the metal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
It was a bull from a cattle family we still have today.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
Red Bull have confirmed the appointment of the Mercedes driver scout involved in discovering Kimi Antonelli to head up their young driver programme.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Qualified and finished comfortably inside the points and brought home sixth on a day when his more experienced team-mate demonstrated how difficult the Red Bull was to drive.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Klopp's reputation has suffered in Germany since he joined Red Bull as head of global soccer in 2024, in a move many fans saw as a betrayal.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
German fans have long criticised Red Bull for its multi-club model and effective circumvention of the much-loved 50+1 rule, which guarantees supporter voting rights at German clubs.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Only in moments of urgency would Dunwing remind him of his vow, knowing that Bull Sparra was a dangerous despot.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
“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
"He's competitive, extremely athletic and strong as a bull. That's a great combination to work from."
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2015
“This is my bull. That makes it my business.”
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
It’s not all bad for bulls, however, there are areas they can hide out to stay in the equity game.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
Even bulls couldn’t ignore that kind of revision.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Meanwhile, the AI bulls include BCA’s Juan Correa, head of portfolio construction, and Noah Weisberger, head of equities, who think the compute market remains “scarce rather than oversupplied.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
July happens to overlap with the animal's mating season - the "peak breeding" period where testosterone levels among bulls are heightened, Jennifer Barfield, the scientific lead at Colorado's Laramie Foothills Bison Conservation Herd, said.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Such a pair were once sent with bulls to excommunicate Barnabas Visconti, but Barnabas only made them eat their bulls—parchment, ribbons, leaden seals and all.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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
Kropp bulled his way relentlessly upward through the drifts, however, and by two o’clock Thursday afternoon he’d reached 28,700 feet, just below the South Summit.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Joveljic then scored the game-winner in the 76th minute, bulling his way through traffic to score on a left-footed shot from the center of the box.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2024
“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
In the fourth, Cousins missed an open receiver after Garrett pressured by bulling straight through left tackle Rashod Hill.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2021
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
