bullying

American  

[bool-ee-ing] / ˈbʊl i ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of harassing, intimidating, or abusing others, especially habitually or from a perceived position of relative power.

   Bullying and stress can impact students' experiences at school.

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Other Word Forms

• unbullying adjective

Etymology

Origin of bullying

First recorded in 1675–85; bully ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

His new children’s book, “Songbird in the Light,” which follows a young boy who grapples with bullying while learning to embrace his talent and love himself, hit bookshop shelves this week.

From Los Angeles Times

The study says issues around phones and social media use, whether that's bullying, arguments, or distractions to learning, still occur with those policies in place.

From BBC

But the underlying issues—bullying classmates, changing bodies, vanishing innocence—remain the same.

From The Wall Street Journal

The family on Wednesday filed a wrongful-death claim against the Los Angeles Unified School District, alleging school officials failed to investigate reports of bullying, adequately supervise student interactions or implement effective safety measures.

From Los Angeles Times

They can also feel like time capsules to other dimensions; his 12-year-old daughter was scandalized by how normative bullying was after she read “Blubber,” Blume’s 1974 novel about tween mean girls and body shaming.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• imperious