bullyboy

American

[bool-ee-boi] / ˈbʊl iˌbɔɪ /

noun

a ruffian or hired hoodlum, especially one working for or associated with a political group.

bullyboy British

/ ˈbʊlɪˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a ruffian or tough, esp a hired one
2. ( as modifier )
  
  bullyboy tactics

"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 bullyboy

First recorded in 1600–10; bully ¹ + boy

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:

bullyboy

He insists to this day that the Review-Journal’s new owner – “The bullyboy of Las Vegas Boulevard” – solely intended to make an example of him.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 23, 2015

The National Farmers' Union, which lobbied the government to appoint the ombudsman, has accused the big supermarkets of "bullyboy tactics" by trying to renegotiate contracts and reduce prices.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 16, 2010

Later in the month, after even rougher bullyboy tactics by Gunawardena's dockworkers immobilized 72 cargo-crammed freighters in the harbor, Banda nationalized the port of Colombo.

From Time Magazine Archive

By the time the committee got around last week to key votes, sore-boned members realized that Zagri had adapted for the lobbying craft the bullyboy methods that Teamsters made famous in trade unionism.

From Time Magazine Archive

It's like being interviewed by the biggest snotty bullyboy in the world.

From Time Magazine Archive

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