- present participle of bully.
bullying
Americannoun
Other Word 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.
Last year, he said, it surfaced a surge in teenagers talking about bullying, so he built a lesson around it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Scotland's anti bullying policy, Respect for All, has existed since 2010 but councils and schools do not have to follow the guidance.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“All it has left is bullying, piracy, noise and the ability to act as a spoiler,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
“The era of bullying and extortion is over,” wrote Mohammad Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Also, he never told our parents about the bullying when it involved him.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
