- 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.
She wrote a number of books, including ones about her life on tour, cookbooks and children’s books about her life and about the dangers of bullying.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
In her book, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Parton described it as a "little story" that covers "a world of things", with teachings about bullying, acceptance, love and good parenting.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Australia banned under 16s last year from the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, in a crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
The announcement blindsided staff, who had been working with the couple on initiatives extending from online bullying to vaccination campaigns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
“By bullying and browbeating anybody who tries to stop you. Chaplain, get me my uniform! It’s around this hospital somewhere. For once in your life, succeed at something.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
