bullying
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of bullying
First recorded in 1675–85; bully 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Bullying is the act of intimidating someone else. Threatening to beat up your little brother if he doesn't clean your room for you is most certainly an act of bullying. You may have heard of the word bully, which is a person, often young, who harasses others. A schoolyard bully might call you names, steal your lunch money, and generally make your life miserable. Bullying is the act of being a bully. Believe it or not, bullying can be serious business with grave consequences. There are even laws that require schools to take action against bullying.
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.
He has described his childhood as difficult, affected by his parents' divorce, bullying at school and his own difficulty picking up on social cues because of Asperger's Syndrome.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Bradshaw, who studies children’s mental health and bullying prevention, has been collecting data on 25,000 students.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
Kirsten wants schools and parents to work together to tackle bullying, and to control access to phones and social media for children.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
As education minister between 2023 and 2024, he tackled bullying and also banned pupils from wearing the abaya, a loose-fitting garment from the shoulders to the feet worn by Muslim women.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Though Robinson owned her own car and rarely rode the city bus, the memory of the driver’s bullying behavior and how humiliated she had felt wouldn’t go away.
From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose
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.
