bully
1 Americannoun
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bullies
plural
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a blustering, mean, or predatory person who, from a perceived position of relative power, intimidates, abuses, harasses, or coerces people, especially those considered unlikely to defend themselves.
playground bullies targeting children with disabilities;
a workplace bully who cuts me off when I speak.
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Archaic. a man hired to do violence.
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Obsolete. a pimp; procurer.
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Obsolete. a good friend; good fellow.
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Obsolete. a sweetheart; darling.
verb (used with object)
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bullies,
present (3rd person singular)
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bullied,
past participle, past
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bullying
present participle
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to intimidate, abuse, or harass, especially habitually.
The boy next door constantly bullies the younger children in the neighborhood.
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to coerce or compel by harassment or intimidation.
The salesman bullied me into upgrading the car's paint protection and rust-proofing.
verb (used without object)
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bullies,
present (3rd person singular)
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bullied,
past participle, past
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bullying
present participle
adjective
interjection
adjective
noun
noun
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bullies
plural
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Soccer. a desperate, freewheeling scramble for the ball by a number of players, usually in the goal area.
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Field Hockey. a method of putting the ball into play in which two opponents, facing each other, tap their sticks on the ground near the ball and then make contact with each other's sticks over the ball three times, after which each tries to gain possession of the ball.
noun
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a person who hurts, persecutes, or intimidates weaker people
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archaic a hired ruffian
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obsolete a procurer; pimp
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obsolete a fine fellow or friend
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obsolete a sweetheart; darling
verb
adjective
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dashing; jolly
my bully boy
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informal very good; fine
interjection
noun
Usage
What does bully mean? A bully is a person who harasses, abuses, intimidates, or coerces people, especially those with less power than they have or those considered weaker or vulnerable in some way. The word often implies that such behavior is repeated or habitual. Bully can also be a verb meaning to treat people in this way (to act as a bully toward them), as in The man who used to bully his classmates in school is now teaching children how not to bully others. Someone who is treated in this way is said to be bullied. The act of treating people in this way is called bullying. Bullies are primarily associated with school settings involving kids, but adults can be considered bullies as well. The most familiar form of a bully depicted in popular culture is the neighborhood or schoolyard bully, usually a physically strong or large child or teenager who uses their size to bully smaller, younger, or more timid kids. Famous fictional bullies that fit this profile include Biff Tannen from Back to the Future and Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons. However, the understanding of what constitutes bullying has evolved and broadened to encompass behavior that involves not just physical but emotional abuse and manipulation. Many studies have shown that bullying has long-lasting emotional and psychological effects, and many organized efforts and campaigns are devoted to preventing bullying in schools and elsewhere. The word cyberbully is used as a noun and a verb in the context of bullying that happens online. Bully can also be used a bit more generally to mean to force or coerce someone into doing something, as in The trainer bullied me into signing up for an expensive gym membership. An entirely different (and much less common) use of bully is as an adjective to describe something as great or excellent, as in What a bully day! It’s also used as an interjection meaning “Great!” or “Well done!” as in Bully for you: you got all A’s on your report card! These uses of the word are now typically considered old-fashioned. Example: Our school has a zero tolerance policy for bullying—bullies are immediately suspended.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bullysimple
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bulliessimple
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have bulliedperfect
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has bulliedperfect
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am bullyingprogressive
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are bullyingprogressive
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is bullyingprogressive
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have been bullyingperfect progressive
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has been bullyingperfect progressive
Past
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bulliedsimple
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had bulliedperfect
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was bullyingprogressive
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were bullyingprogressive
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had been bullyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bully1
First recorded in 1530–40; from Middle Dutch boele “lover”
Origin of bully2
First recorded in 1880–85; bull(dog) ( def. ) + -y 1 ( def. )
Origin of bully3
First recorded in 1750–55; from French bouilli, short for boeuf bouilli “boiled meat”; see origin at boil 1, beef
Origin of bully4
First recorded in 1860–65; of obscure origin
Explanation
You might still have terrifying dreams about the bully who harassed you on the playground in second grade. A bully is someone who intimidates people, usually those who are weaker or smaller. The classic example of a bully is a mean kid in a schoolyard who hassles or beats up younger students. While a child or a teenager can be a bully, so is anyone who uses power or strength to scare or harm other people. The word bully has gone through a mysterious evolution, from the 1530s when it meant "sweetheart," through the 17th century's meanings of "fine fellow," then "blusterer," and finally "harasser of the weak."
Vocabulary lists containing bully
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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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 bond market has always been able to bully small countries that depend on external financing.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
It should be to keep the bully from taking over the playground by refusing intimidation, empowering the bystanders and enforcing boundaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Last year, a beauty pageant contestant was commended for standing up to a group of men who tried to bully her and other contestants over the skirts and western dresses they were wearing.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
He develops a reputation for aggression, seemingly fighting a war against everyone on the asphalt that spins out when he attempts to bully a cosmopolitan French driver into submission.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
I hated how the world kept trying to bully me into believing that I was the problem.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
I ask her if these environments are full of bullies.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
What about the team with the best record in the American League: the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat up on big-market bullies in the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
“It is infectious to play a character who sees the best in people and isn’t mad at the world for all its foibles and bullies and shadows,” Sudeikis recently told the Hollywood Reporter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Why would anyone think you could discipline bullies by inviting them to talk about their feelings?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
No more bullies who make fun of Autumn and who would roast me for wearing my dashiki.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
"They were bullied, threatened and marginalised. So the families knew there was an issue at this trust. There was a cultural divide caused by the approach taken by the executives."
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I wouldn’t be bullied by him,” Farage says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Officials said earlier he faced academic-related stress and a classmate said he was bullied.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
He left the gym a short time later due to feeling "bullied".
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
I didn’t want to get bullied out of school in Rochester for wearing a voluminous denim skirt.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Instagram’s terms of service prohibit intellectual property violations, spam, illegal content, hate speech, bullying and abuse, self-injury, graphic violence and inappropriate imagery that may include nudity or sexual content.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Australia implemented legislation barring children from social media platforms in December, part of a world-first crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
"Whether it was same-sex families or just different types of families, things about bravery, courage, bullying, things about different identities."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Phones, as a portal to social media, have been linked to a variety of problems in school including fights, bullying and declining academic performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
He wasn’t going to trade in the playoffs for a lesson about bullying.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
